Twenty-nine Nigerian universities have been ranked in the 2027 Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings, giving Nigeria the highest number of ranked universities among countries in Sub-Saharan Africa.
The Federal Ministry of Education disclosed this in a statement issued on Thursday in Abuja by its Director of Press and Public Relations, Mrs Folasade Boriowo.
According to Boriowo, five Nigerian universities entered the global rankings for the first time, while 32 other institutions were listed under the THE Reporter category.
She said the development brings the total number of Nigerian institutions participating in the 2027 ranking exercise to 61.
The ministry attributed the performance to ongoing reforms in the education sector, particularly efforts to strengthen research, innovation, institutional performance and the global competitiveness of Nigerian universities.
It identified research quality as the strongest performance area for Nigerian universities, while research environment and teaching were highlighted as areas requiring further improvement.
The ministry said further progress would depend on improvements in academic reputation, research output, doctoral programmes, international collaboration and institutional data reporting.
Federal universities recorded particularly strong performances, accounting for five of the seven Nigerian universities placed among the global top 1,200.
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.
Boriowo said federal universities also occupied all six Nigerian positions in the 1401–1600 band.
She added that 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.
According to the ministry, the performance indicates that the Federal Government’s ongoing education reforms are beginning to produce 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.
The ministry said the national ranking would promote healthy competition, improve institutional visibility and strengthen the ability 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 ranking 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 improving research, teaching quality, innovation, international collaboration and the overall competitiveness of Nigerian tertiary institutions.
