Alausa orders Okebukola-led panel to rank Nigerian tertiary institutions

Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, has directed the Nigeria Tertiary Education Ranking Advisory Committee, NiTERAC, led by Prof. Peter Okebukola, to commence the 2026 national ranking of Nigerian universities, polytechnics and colleges of education, as the country records increased representation in the global university ranking.

The directive comes as 29 Nigerian universities have secured places in the 2027 Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings, up from 24 institutions in the 2026 edition.

Nigeria’s 29 ranked universities represent the highest number from any country in Sub-Saharan Africa, with five Nigerian institutions entering the global ranking for the first time.

The Federal Ministry of Education said the national ranking framework being developed by NiTERAC, in consultation with stakeholders, would assess tertiary institutions using 22 indicators designed to stimulate healthy competition, improve institutional visibility and strengthen their capacity to compete globally.

The ministry disclosed this in a statement issued on Thursday by its Director, Press and Public Relations, Boriowo Folasade, which linked the increased global representation of Nigerian universities to ongoing reforms under the leadership of Alausa.

According to the ministry, the reforms are focused on research excellence, innovation, institutional performance and international competitiveness under the Nigerian Education Sector Renewal Initiative ,NESRI.

The latest THE ranking shows that Nigeria’s federal universities account for a significant proportion of the country’s improved performance.

Five of the seven Nigerian universities placed within the global top 1,200 are federal institutions, representing 71.4 per cent of Nigeria’s universities in that band.

The University of Ibadan and University of Lagos retained positions in the 801–1000 band, while Ahmadu Bello University and University of Ilorin advanced into the 1001–1200 band, joining Bayero University, which retained its position in the same band.

Covenant University also retained a position in the 801–1000 band.

The ministry further disclosed that federal universities occupied all six Nigerian positions in the 1401–1600 band.

Five of the seven Nigerian universities that recorded clear upward movement were also federal institutions– Ahmadu Bello University, University of Ilorin, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Obafemi Awolowo University and University of Benin.

Beyond the 29 institutions ranked globally, another 32 Nigerian universities were listed in THE Reporter category, bringing the total number of Nigerian institutions engaged with the ranking exercise to 61.

The ministry said the 2027 THE ranking identified Research Quality as the strongest performance pillar for Nigerian universities, while Research Environment and Teaching remained areas requiring further attention.

It said continued improvement in academic reputation, research output and productivity, doctoral output, international collaboration and institutional data reporting would be critical to sustaining the progress recorded.

The ministry described the growing participation of Nigerian universities in global rankings as more than recognition, saying the exercise would serve as a mechanism for benchmarking performance, identifying institutional gaps and accelerating continuous improvement across the tertiary education sector.

It reaffirmed its commitment to reforms aimed at advancing research excellence, teaching quality, innovation, international engagement and institutional competitiveness.