Nigerian Universities on the Rise Again: Salute to the FGN and Academia
By Prof. M.K. Othman
The most gratifying news for the Nigerian university system in recent times is the release of the 2027 Times Higher Education [THE] World University Rankings, which placed several Nigerian universities above some established African, European and American universities.
We will recall that in the 2020 edition of the THE World University Rankings, only Covenant University, Ota, was ranked within the global top 500. By the 2023 edition, a broader Nigerian resurgence became evident. Nigeria recorded the largest improvement in average overall score in Africa among countries with at least five ranked institutions. Twelve Nigerian universities were placed within the top 1000 band — double the previous number — with the University of Ibadan and the University of Lagos featuring in the 500 band.
The 2026 rankings, released in October 2025, listed 24 Nigerian universities, with the University of Ibadan, University of Lagos, Covenant University and Ahmadu Bello University, among others, featured in the 1000 band.
In the ranking table released on September 30, 2026, Nigeria improved from 24 universities in the 2026 edition to 29 in 2027. The University of Ibadan and the University of Lagos retained their positions in the 801-1000 band — the highest occupied by any Nigerian university — while Bayero University maintained its place in the 1001-1200 band.
In the same 2026 edition, Ahmadu Bello University and the University of Ilorin both advanced from the 1201-1500 band to the 1001-1200 band. Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Obafemi Awolowo University and the University of Benin each moved up from above the 1500 band to the 1401-1600 band.
First-time entrants into the ranking were the University of Maiduguri and Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike. In all, the 29 ranked Nigerian universities comprised 19 federal, seven state and three private institutions. As one of the top three universities nationally, Covenant University has maintained its winning streak.
Taken together, the two rankings present a consistent picture: federal universities remain not only the foundation of Nigerian research but also the institutions making the most significant progress, advancing up the tables across the South-West, North-Central, North-West and South-East.
The Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2027 assessed 2,297 research-intensive universities across 118 countries and territories. The assessment was based on five core pillars: Teaching, Research Environment, Research Quality, Industry, and International Outlook, using 17 specific performance indicators.
For Nigeria, the 2027 THE outcome was somewhat validated by the latest AD Scientific Index, refreshed on October 1, 2026 — the day Nigeria celebrated its 66th Independence Anniversary. According to the report of Prof. Peter A. Okebukola, Chairman of the Nigerian Tertiary Education Ranking Advisory Committee, Nigeria ranks 48th out of 221 countries and 3rd in Africa, with 384 institutions and 53,580 scientists indexed — the largest number among Africa’s three leading research nations.[NiTERAC]
Once again, federal universities remain the unmistakable centre of the nation’s research power. The University of Ibadan remains the flagship. It is the only Nigerian institution in the global top 1,000, ranking 889th out of about 19,800 universities worldwide — placing it within the top 4.5 percent globally. Several long-standing African research universities, including Alexandria University, the University of South Africa, and the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, now rank below it. On the continent, it has consistently ranked 14th in Africa.
Federal institutions occupy at least eight of the top 10 positions nationally, including the University of Lagos, Obafemi Awolowo University, University of Ilorin, Ahmadu Bello University — my amiable alma mater, the great ABU — Nnamdi Azikiwe University and Bayero University.
The number of Nigerian institutions rated in the AD Scientific Index increased from 257 in the 2024 edition to over 300 in 2026, while the number of indexed Nigerian scientists continued to rise. According to individual scientist records from the current cycle, the number grew from 53,214 in November 2025 to 53,372 in January 2026 and 53,580 by October 1, 2026.
Over a longer period, Nigeria’s share of all African universities in the index increased from 23 percent to roughly 25 percent, and the number of Nigerian universities ranked rose from 257 in the 2024 edition to between 307 and 317 in the 2026 edition — an expansion of roughly one-fifth to one-quarter in two years. What an amazing feat!
At the level of individual scholars, the strength of the federal system is most evident. Two federal scholars — Mayowa Owolabi of the University of Ibadan and Shafiu Mohammed of ABU Zaria — are among the 800 most-cited researchers worldwide out of more than 2.6 million indexed researchers. Owolabi, a neurologist with 257,748 citations, ranks first nationally and 676th globally. Shafiu Mohammed ranks second nationally with over 242,000 citations and 776th globally. Sixteen of the 22 Nigerian scholars in the national top 25 by citations are in federal universities, including five at the University of Ibadan.
This narrative is heartwarming for stakeholders in the Nigerian university system, given the negative narrative and hopelessness that characterized the sector in recent years before the change of leadership at the federal level in 2023. University education — the bedrock of societal development, the breeding ground for tomorrow’s leaders, the epicentre for integrating hypothesis and empirical concepts, the meeting point of theory and practical reality, and the home of creativity and innovation — was decaying due to years of negligence, underfunding, nepotism and misgovernance.
The Academic Staff Union of Universities [ASUU] consistently protested this deterioration, which was worsened by prolonged closures. Public universities were shut down for nine months [March to December 2020] and eight months [February to October 2022] due to industrial actions.
This shift in narrative reflects the impact of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s ongoing education reforms, led by the Minister of Education, Dr. Morufu Tunji Alausa, and marks a significant milestone in the Federal Government’s efforts to improve the quality, competitiveness and global visibility of Nigeria’s tertiary education system. In the last three years, our campuses have enjoyed relative peace and stability, which has directly contributed to the strong performance in the 2027 THE rankings and the AD Scientific Index.
While commending the Federal Government of Nigeria for its initiatives to address the perennial crises in tertiary institutions, we must also salute the resilience, patriotism and astuteness of the academia for their tireless efforts to keep pace with, and compete favourably with, researchers in other climes.
As we celebrate 66 years of independence, we must acknowledge that Nigerian universities are on the rise again. However, there is still room for improvement: What is changing, why does it matter, and what areas need improvement?
To be concluded next week.
