The University of Ibadan, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, and Covenant University have emerged as Nigeria's top three universities in the 2027 AD Scientific Index. This ranking, released on October 1, highlights the country's academic performance globally. Nigeria ranks third in Africa and 48th globally, with 53,580 scientists across 384 institutions indexed. The Chairman of the Nigerian Tertiary Education Ranking Advisory Committee, Prof Peter Okebukola, released the report.
The University of Ibadan retained its top national position, ranking 889th among nearly 19,800 universities globally. This places it among the top 4.5 per cent worldwide and makes it the only Nigerian university in the global top 1,000. The university improved from 904th in the mid-August ranking to 889th in the October update. It also retained its 14th position in Africa across the 2025, 2026, and 2027 editions.
The University of Nigeria, Nsukka, retained its second position nationally and ranked 1,227th globally and 31st in Africa. Covenant University came third, followed by the University of Lagos, Obafemi Awolowo University, University of Ilorin, Ahmadu Bello University, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, and Bayero University. The report noted that the number of Nigerian universities included in the ranking rose from 257 in the 2024 edition to more than 300 in 2026.
Covenant University recorded the biggest movement among Nigerian institutions, rising 457 places from 1,857th globally in the 2026 edition to 1,400th in the 2027 edition. This significant improvement allowed it to retain its third position nationally. The ranking also highlighted Nigerian researchers, with Mayowa Owolabi of the University of Ibadan emerging as the country's most cited scholar with 257,748 citations.
Owolabi ranked 676th among more than 2.6 million researchers indexed globally. He was followed by Shafiu Mohammed of Ahmadu Bello University, with 242,300 citations and a global ranking of 776th. Olayinka Ilesanmi of the University of Ibadan ranked third nationally with 185,602 citations. The report noted that 16 of the 22 Nigeria-based scholars in the national top 25 by citations were affiliated with federal institutions.
The University of Ibadan accounted for five of the top 25 scholars. The report also cited the Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2027, which increased Nigeria's representation from 24 universities in 2026 to 29 in 2027. Nineteen of the 29 institutions were federal universities. Ahmadu Bello University and the University of Ilorin moved into the 1001–1200 band.
Okebukola, a former Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission, said the rankings reflected growing research visibility in Nigeria's university system. However, he stressed the need for greater research impact, international collaboration, and sustained investment in leading research groups. The rankings demonstrate Nigeria's academic progress, but also highlight areas for improvement.
Key points
- The University of Ibadan, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, and Covenant University are Nigeria's top three universities in the 2027 AD Scientific Index.
- Nigeria ranks third in Africa and 48th globally in the 2027 AD Scientific Index.
- The University of Ibadan's Mayowa Owolabi is Nigeria's most cited scholar with 257,748 citations.
