Nigerian universities have achieved a landmark feat in the 2026 Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings by Subject, released on January 21.
For the first time, 24 institutions made the global list, making Nigeria the most represented country in Sub-Saharan Africa.
The rankings cover 11 subject areas, including Arts and Humanities, Business and Economics, Computer Science, Education, Engineering, Law, Life Sciences, Medical and Health, Physical Sciences, Psychology, and Social Sciences.
Chairman of the Nigerian Universities Ranking Advisory Committee (NURAC) and former Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission (NUC), Professor Emeritus Peter Okebukola, hailed the achievement.
“This is a testament to the resilience and rising academic strength of Nigerian universities,” he said in a statement on Thursday.
Okebukola noted that the performance coincides with renewed government support under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, particularly in staff welfare and plans to improve teaching, learning, and research environments.
He added that the gains also build on reforms introduced by previous administrations, notably during the tenure of Professor Abubakar Adamu Rasheed as NUC Executive Secretary.
Strong Subject Performances
To qualify for the 2026 rankings, institutions had to meet strict criteria, including a minimum number of research publications in each subject over five years and adequate staffing in the relevant disciplines.
In Law, the University of Ibadan (UI) and University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN) broke into the 301–400 global band, marking a major milestone.
UI also retained a strong showing in Medical and Health, ranking in the 301–400 band, followed by the University of Lagos in the 401–500 range. Other universities, including Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) Zaria, Bayero University Kano (BUK), University of Benin, University of Jos, and UNN, ranked between 601–800.
Nigeria also recorded strong performances in Computer Science and Physical Sciences, led by Landmark University, University of Ilorin, and Covenant University.
In Social Sciences, Covenant University and UI placed in the 501–600 band, while UNN emerged as Nigeria’s only representative in Psychology, ranking within the same range.
Okebukola explained that the results reflect performance across THE’s five key pillars: teaching, research environment, research quality, international outlook, and industry income.
“Nigerian universities are no longer just participating; they are competing for global respect,” he said.
He urged sustained investment in research funding, infrastructure, global partnerships, and university-industry collaboration to consolidate the gains.
NURAC reaffirmed its commitment to working with the NUC to ensure Nigeria’s upward trajectory in global university rankings continues.
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