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Nigeria has recorded a notable increase in its representation in the global university ranking system, with 29 universities featuring in the 2027 Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings, compared with 24 institutions in the previous edition.
The latest ranking makes Nigeria the country with the largest number of universities ranked in Sub-Saharan Africa, according to a statement issued on Thursday by Boriowo Folasade, Director, Press and Public Relations, Federal Ministry of Education.
The ministry linked the development to ongoing reforms in Nigeria’s education sector under President Bola Tinubu and the supervision of the Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Tunji Alausa, particularly initiatives focused on research, innovation, institutional performance and global competitiveness.
Of the 29 Nigerian universities included in the 2027 THE rankings, five entered the ranking for the first time, while 32 other Nigerian institutions were listed under the THE Reporter category.
The development brings the number of Nigerian tertiary institutions participating in the ranking exercise to 61.
Federal universities accounted for a significant proportion of the country’s strongest performances, with five of the seven Nigerian universities ranked within the global 1,200 bracket being federal institutions.
The University of Ibadan and the University of Lagos retained their places in the 801–1000 category, while Ahmadu Bello University and the University of Ilorin moved into the 1001–1200 bracket, joining Bayero University, which retained its position.
Covenant University recorded one of the notable upward movements, advancing from the 1001–1200 category in the 2026 ranking to 801–1000 in the 2027 edition.
Babcock University also improved significantly, moving from the 1501+ category to 1201–1400.
Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Obafemi Awolowo University and the University of Benin equally recorded upward movements, advancing into the 1401–1600 category.
Osun State University and the University of Maiduguri made their debut in the rankings, while Olabisi Onabanjo University, Kwara State University and Michael Okpara University of Agriculture were among other Nigerian institutions featured in the latest edition.
The Federal Ministry of Education said the latest performance reflected the impact of the Federal Government’s education reform agenda, particularly the Nigerian Education Sector Renewal Initiative (NESRI).
The ministry stated that the growth in Nigeria’s representation, alongside the performance of several federal universities, was “a clear manifestation that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR Renewed Hope Agenda for Education being powered by the Nigerian Education Sector Renewal initiatives is now yielding significant results.”
It explained that NESRI was promoting evidence-based assessment of institutional performance, strengthening research capacity and encouraging healthy competition among tertiary institutions.
In another step aimed at strengthening institutional performance, Alausa has directed the Nigeria Tertiary Education Ranking Advisory Committee (NITERAC), headed by Professor Peter Okebukola, to commence the 2026 national ranking of universities, polytechnics and colleges of education in Nigeria.
The proposed national ranking is expected to encourage competition among tertiary institutions, improve their visibility and enhance their capacity to compete with institutions internationally.
According to the ministry, the national ranking framework is being developed in consultation with relevant stakeholders and will evaluate tertiary institutions based on 22 indicators.
The framework is intended to provide a stronger evidence base for identifying institutional strengths while highlighting areas requiring improvement.
Despite the progress recorded in the latest global ranking, the ministry acknowledged that Nigerian universities still have areas requiring further improvement.
It identified Research Quality as the strongest performance pillar for Nigerian universities, while Research Environment and Teaching were highlighted as areas that require greater attention.
The ministry said further improvements in academic reputation, research outcomes and productivity, doctoral output, international collaboration and institutional data reporting would be important to consolidating the gains already recorded.
It added that the Federal Ministry of Education would continue implementing measures aimed at improving research excellence, teaching quality, innovation, international engagement and the competitiveness of Nigerian tertiary institutions.
The ministry further said participation in international rankings should not be viewed solely as recognition for individual institutions, but also as a mechanism for measuring performance, identifying weaknesses and promoting continuous improvement across Nigeria’s tertiary education system.
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