The Chairman of the Nigerian Tertiary Education Ranking Advisory Committee, Prof Peter Okebukola, has urged Nigerian universities to improve their global academic reputation, research output, and international collaboration. This call comes after 29 Nigerian institutions featured in the 2027 Times Higher Education World University Rankings, the highest number of ranked institutions in sub-Saharan Africa. Okebukola noted that the increase in ranked universities should be matched by stronger performance in key areas that influence global rankings.
Nigeria's 29 ranked universities represent an increase from 24 in the 2026 edition. The 2027 ranking assessed 2,297 universities across 118 countries and territories. According to Okebukola, global academic reputation is a crucial area for improvement, accounting for 33 per cent of the overall ranking score. He suggested that Nigerian universities could improve their international academic standing by participating in international conferences, undertaking joint research, 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, and deeper international collaboration. His assessment showed that Research Quality was Nigeria's strongest ranking pillar, with a mean score of 43.3. In contrast, Research Environment and Teaching recorded mean scores of 13.9 and 20.6, respectively. The latest ranking placed Covenant University, the University of Ibadan, and the University of Lagos jointly in Nigeria's highest position in the 801–1000 global band.
Seven Nigerian universities are now ranked in the global top 1,200, including Ahmadu Bello University, Bayero University, Landmark University, and the University of Ilorin, which joined Covenant University, the University of Ibadan, and the University of Lagos in the 1001–1200 band. Okebukola noted that federal universities continue 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 Nigerian Tertiary Education Ranking Advisory Committee (NiTERAC) is working on a national ranking of Nigerian universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education. This exercise, initiated by the Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, aims to stimulate healthy competition among tertiary institutions and help Nigeria improve its performance in global rankings. The national ranking will use 22 indicators to assess universities and is expected to be completed by December 15, 2026.
The national ranking exercise represents an expansion of the government's approach to assessing tertiary education, moving beyond universities to include polytechnics and colleges of education. This broader approach is expected to provide a more comprehensive picture of Nigeria's tertiary education sector. Okebukola disclosed that the ranking exercise will help institutions identify gaps in areas such as research environment, doctoral output, and academic reputation.
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. Sixteen of these Reporter institutions are private universities, 12 are state-owned, and four are federal. Okebukola emphasized that the results should serve as a diagnostic tool for Nigeria's higher education system and provide empirical evidence for NiTERAC's work.
Key points
- 29 Nigerian universities featured in the 2027 Times Higher Education World University Rankings.
- Okebukola calls for improvement in global academic reputation, research output, and international collaboration.
- Nigeria's higher education sector continues to expand, with a national ranking exercise underway.
