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By Stella Odueme
Twenty-nine Nigerian universities have featured in the 2027 Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings, representing the highest number of universities ranked from any country in Sub-Saharan Africa.
The Federal Ministry of Education disclosed this in a statement signed by its Director, Press and Public Relations, Boriowo Folasade, on Thursday, October 1, 2026.
According to the ministry, the number of Nigerian universities ranked globally increased from 24 in 2026 to 29 in 2027, with five institutions entering the rankings for the first time.
It added that another 32 Nigerian universities were listed in the THE Reporter category, bringing to 61 the total number of Nigerian institutions engaged with the ranking exercise.
The ministry attributed the development to ongoing education reforms under the leadership of the Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Tunji Alausa, with emphasis on research excellence, innovation, institutional performance and international competitiveness.
It said federal universities recorded particularly strong results, with five of the seven Nigerian universities placed within the global top 1,200 being federal institutions, representing 71.4 per cent of Nigeria's universities in that band.
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 advanced into the 1001–1200 band, joining Bayero University, which retained its position Covenant University also placed in the 801–1000 band.
The statement further said federal universities occupied all six Nigerian positions in the 1401–1600 band.
It noted that five of the seven Nigerian universities that recorded clear upward movement were federal institutions: Ahmadu Bello University, University of Ilorin, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Obafemi Awolowo University and University of Benin.
The ministry said the increase in the number of Nigerian universities, particularly federal institutions, participating in the THE World University Rankings demonstrated progress under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu's Renewed Hope Agenda for Education and the Nigerian Education Sector Renewal Initiative (NESRI).
It said the reform agenda also focused on strengthening evidence-based institutional performance, research capacity and healthy competition across the tertiary education system.
The ministry disclosed that Alausa had directed the Nigeria Tertiary Education Ranking Advisory Committee (NiTERAC), led by Professor Peter Okebukola, to commence the 2026 national ranking of Nigerian universities, polytechnics and colleges of education.
The exercise, it said, was designed to stimulate healthy competition, enhance institutional visibility and strengthen the capacity of tertiary institutions to compete globally.
According to the statement, the emerging national ranking framework, being developed in consultation with stakeholders, would assess universities using 22 indicators.
It said the framework would provide a stronger evidence base for identifying institutional strengths and areas requiring improvement.
The ministry said the 2027 THE rankings identified Research Quality as the strongest performance pillar for Nigerian universities, while Research Environment and Teaching remained areas requiring further attention.
It added that sustained improvements in academic reputation, research outcomes and productivity, doctoral output, international collaboration and institutional data reporting would be important to maintaining the progress recorded.
The ministry said it welcomed the progress made by Nigerian universities and remained committed to reforms aimed at advancing research excellence, teaching quality, innovation, international engagement and institutional competitiveness.
It added that the growing participation of Nigerian universities in global rankings was not merely a form of recognition but an important mechanism for benchmarking performance, identifying gaps and accelerating continuous improvement across the tertiary education sector.
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