The Chairman of the Nigerian Tertiary Education Ranking Advisory Committee, Prof Peter Okebukola, has emphasized that Nigerian universities must strengthen their global academic reputation, research output, and international collaborations to improve the country's standing in global university rankings. This call was made in his assessment of Nigeria's performance in the 2027 Times Higher Education World University Rankings.
The 2027 ranking assessed 2,297 universities across 118 countries and territories, with Nigeria recording 29 ranked universities, up from 24 in the 2026 edition. Nigeria also had the highest number of ranked universities in sub-Saharan Africa, which recorded 69 institutions in the latest ranking. Okebukola noted that the increase in the number of Nigerian universities featured in the ranking should prompt closer attention to areas where the country continues to lag.
According to Okebukola, global academic reputation is the single biggest lever for improving Nigeria's performance, with reputation-related measures accounting for 33 per cent of the overall ranking score. He suggested that Nigerian universities could improve their international academic standing by participating more actively in international conferences, undertaking joint research, attracting visiting professors, and strengthening links with academics and alumni in the diaspora.
Okebukola also called for improved research funding and productivity, more accurate institutional data submission, increased doctoral output, deeper international collaboration and mobility, as well as stronger industry engagement and patenting. His assessment showed that Research Quality was Nigeria's strongest ranking pillar, with a mean score of 43.3, while Research Environment and Teaching recorded mean scores of 13.9 and 20.6 respectively.
The latest ranking showed that Covenant University, the University of Ibadan, and the University of Lagos jointly occupied Nigeria's highest position, in the 801–1000 global band. Covenant improved from the 1001–1200 band in 2026, while UI and UNILAG retained their positions. Four other Nigerian universities — Ahmadu Bello University, Bayero University, Landmark University, and the University of Ilorin — were placed in the 1001–1200 band, taking the number of Nigerian universities in the global top 1,200 to seven.
Okebukola noted that federal universities continued to account for most of Nigeria's institutions in the upper bands, with five of the seven universities in the top 1,200 being federal institutions — the universities of Ibadan, Lagos, and Ilorin, Ahmadu Bello University, and Bayero University. He said the number of federal universities in the top 1,200 rose from three in 2026 to five in 2027, while their share of Nigeria's institutions in the band increased from 60 per cent to 71.4 per cent.
Beyond the 29 ranked institutions, 32 Nigerian universities were listed as Reporters, having submitted data but not met the requirements for inclusion in the ranked table. Okebukola disclosed that NiTERAC had commenced work on a national ranking of Nigerian universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education, expected to be completed before December 15, 2026. The national ranking aims to stimulate healthy competition among tertiary institutions while helping Nigeria improve its performance in global rankings.
Key points
- Nigerian universities must strengthen global academic reputation, research output, and international collaborations.
- 29 Nigerian universities were ranked in the 2027 Times Higher Education World University Rankings.
- Nigeria had the highest number of ranked universities in sub-Saharan Africa.
