Twenty-nine Nigerian universities have been featured in the 2027 Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings, the Federal Ministry of Education has announced.
The ministry said Nigeria recorded the highest number of ranked universities among countries in Sub-Saharan Africa, describing the development as an indication of growing global visibility for the country’s tertiary institutions.
The Director, Press and Public Relations of the ministry, Mrs Folasade Boriowo, disclosed this in a statement issued on Thursday in Abuja.
According to her, five Nigerian universities made their debut in the global rankings, while another 32 institutions were listed under the THE Reporter category, bringing the total number of Nigerian institutions participating in the exercise to 61.
The ministry attributed the development to ongoing reforms in the education sector, particularly measures aimed at improving research, innovation, institutional performance and the international competitiveness of Nigerian universities.
It identified research quality as the strongest performance area for Nigerian institutions, while research environment and teaching remained areas requiring further improvement.
Boriowo said sustained progress would depend on improvements in academic reputation, research output, doctoral programmes, international collaboration and institutional data reporting.
She noted that federal universities recorded particularly strong performances, with five of the seven Nigerian universities ranked among the global top 1,200 being federal institutions.
The University of Ibadan and the University of Lagos retained their positions in the 801–1000 band, while Ahmadu Bello University and the University of Ilorin moved into the 1001–1200 band.
Bayero University also retained its position in the 1001–1200 band, while Covenant University was placed in the 801–1000 band.
The ministry further disclosed that federal universities occupied all six Nigerian positions in the 1401–1600 band.
Boriowo said five of the seven Nigerian universities that recorded clear upward movement were federal institutions. They are Ahmadu Bello University, University of Ilorin, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Obafemi Awolowo University and University of Benin.
She said the development indicated that the Federal Government’s ongoing education reforms were beginning to yield measurable results.
Meanwhile, the Nigeria Tertiary Education Ranking Advisory Committee (NiTERAC), led by Prof. Peter Okebukola, has been directed to commence the 2026 national ranking of universities, polytechnics and colleges of education.
According to the ministry, the national ranking is expected to promote healthy competition, improve institutional visibility and strengthen the capacity of Nigerian tertiary institutions to compete internationally.
The proposed ranking framework, which is being developed in consultation with stakeholders, will assess institutions using 22 indicators.
The ministry said the rankings would serve as a tool for measuring institutional performance, identifying gaps and driving continuous improvement across Nigeria’s tertiary education sector.
It reaffirmed its commitment to reforms focused on research, teaching quality, innovation, international collaboration and the overall competitiveness of Nigerian tertiary institutions.
