The 2027 Times Higher Education (THE) Rankings have brought good news for Nigeria's university system, with several institutions making significant gains. The University of Ibadan and the University of Lagos have maintained their spots in the 801-1000 band, the highest inhabited by any Nigerian university. Bayero University also held its place in the 1001-1200 band. Ahmadu Bello University and the University of Ilorin advanced from the 1201-1500 band to the 1001-1200 band.
The 2027 THE rankings listed 29 Nigerian universities, including 19 federal, 7 state, and 3 private institutions. This represents an increase from 24 universities in the 2026 edition. The University of Maiduguri and Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike made their debut in the rankings. Covenant University maintained its position as one of the top three universities in Nigeria.
The Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2027 assessed universities across five core areas: Teaching, Research Environment, Research Quality, Industry, and International Outlook, using 17 specific performance indicators. The rankings evaluated 2,297 research-intensive universities across 118 countries and territories. Nigeria's gains in the rankings reflect the country's growing presence in global higher education.
The AD Scientific Index, which was refreshed on October 1, 2026, also validated Nigeria's progress. The report indicated that Nigeria stands 48th out of 221 countries and third in Africa, with 384 institutions and 53,580 scientists indexed. The University of Ibadan ranked 889th out of about 19,800 universities, or in the top 4.5 percent. Federal universities remain the center of Nigeria's research power, occupying at least eight of the top 10 spots nationally.
The number of Nigerian colleges rated increased from 257 in the 2024 edition to over 300 in 2026. The number of Nigerian scientists indexed continued to rise, increasing from 53,214 in November 2025 to 53,372 in January 2026 and 53,580 by October 1st, 2026. Nigeria's share of all African universities in the index increased from 23 percent to roughly 25 percent.
At the level of individual scholars, federal universities dominate the rankings. Two federal scholars, Mayowa Owolabi of the University of Ibadan and Shafiu Mohammed of Ahmadu Bello University, are among the 800 most-cited researchers worldwide. Owolabi ranked first nationally and stands 676th globally, while Shafiu Mohammed ranked second nationally with more than 242,000 citations and 776th worldwide.
The improvement in Nigeria's university rankings reflects the impact of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu's ongoing education reforms, led by the Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Tunji Alausa. The reforms have contributed to relative peace and stability on campuses over the last three years, directly impacting the strong 2027 THE rankings and the AD Scientific Index of Nigerian universities.
Key points
- Nigerian universities have made significant gains in global rankings, with 29 institutions featured in the 2027 Times Higher Education (THE) Rankings.
- The University of Ibadan and the University of Lagos have maintained their spots in the 801-1000 band, the highest inhabited by any Nigerian university.
- Federal universities remain the center of Nigeria's research power, occupying at least eight of the top 10 spots nationally.
