Otamere Gladness 
ABUJA, Nigeria – Nigeria’s Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, has unveiled 82 academic textbooks written by Nigerian scholars, in a major initiative aimed at strengthening teaching and research across tertiary institutions.
The public presentation takes place in Abuja on Wednesday under the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) Higher Education Book Development Intervention Project.
Officials say the programme is designed to address the shortage of locally authored academic materials and reduce reliance on foreign textbooks.
Alausa says the federal government also secured 10 additional textbooks for nationwide distribution, further expanding access to locally produced academic resources.
“This initiative addresses the shortage of locally authored textbooks, reduces dependence on foreign publications and strengthens key disciplines such as science, technology and engineering,” Alausa says.
He adds that the programme supports academic publishing through journals and university publishing centres established after the creation of a Technical Advisory Group in 2009.
The minister also commends reforms introduced by Bola Ahmed Tinubu, which he says are helping stabilise academic calendars in Nigerian tertiary institutions.
Executive Secretary of TETFund, Sonny Echono, reveals that 72 of the titles are newly authored, bringing the total number of books produced under the intervention programme to 202 titles.
Echono says more than 400,000 copies, alongside digital versions, will be distributed to universities and other higher education institutions nationwide.
During the event, participants observe a minute’s silence in honour of late author Valerie Young Harry, whose contributions to academic scholarship are widely acknowledged.
Chairman of the TETFund Board of Trustees, Aminu Bello Masari, calls for the commercialisation of the books to ensure sustainability and wider access.
Education stakeholders say the initiative marks a significant step toward strengthening Nigeria’s academic publishing ecosystem and promoting indigenous knowledge production.
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