Nigeria Records 29 Universities in 2027 Times Higher Education World Rankings

Nigeria has recorded 29 universities in the 2027 Times Higher Education World University Rankings, making the country the most represented in sub-Saharan Africa in the latest edition. The 2027 ranking was released on Wednesday, September 30, and includes universities from around the world. Covenant University, the University of Ibadan and the University of Lagos emerged as Nigeria’s highest-placed institutions, with all three falling within the 801–1,000 global band. The number of Nigerian universities appearing in the ranking increased from 24 institutions in the 2026 edition to 29 in 2027. Five institutions were newly included in the latest edition: Osun State University, the University of Maiduguri, Olabisi Onabanjo University, Kwara State University and Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike. The Times Higher Education rankings assess universities using indicators covering areas such as teaching, research environment, research quality, international outlook and industry engagement. The latest development places Nigerian universities in a wider international comparison of higher education institutions. The increased number of Nigerian institutions appearing in the ranking has also generated discussion about the need for universities to improve research output, international collaboration and academic visibility. Professor Peter Okebukola, Chairman of the Nigerian Tertiary Education Ranking Advisory Committee, called for continued improvements in areas including research, international collaboration and global academic reputation. The ranking comes at a time when the Federal Government is also developing a separate national framework for assessing Nigerian tertiary institutions. That national exercise is expected to use 22 performance indicators and cover universities, polytechnics and colleges of education. For students and prospective applicants, global university rankings can provide one source of information when comparing institutions, although individual programmes, accreditation, tuition, location, admission requirements and other factors remain important when choosing a university. Nigeria’s 29 institutions in the latest THE ranking therefore represent a notable expansion in the number of Nigerian universities included in the global assessment.