Nigeria has emerged the most represented country in Sub-Saharan Africa in the 2026 Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings, with 24 universities making the prestigious global list.
Nigeria’s representation rose from 21 universities in both 2024 and 2025 to 24 institutions in 2026, with federal universities accounting for 17 of the ranked institutions.
The University of Ibadan and University of Lagos retained their positions among Nigeria’s leading institutions, while Bayero University Kano recorded one of the strongest performances among universities in the country.
Reacting to the development, the Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Alausa, said the achievement reflected the growing impact of the Renewed Hope Agenda and the Nigerian Education Sector Renewal Initiative (NESRI) on higher education, adding that the rankings were evidence that ongoing reforms in the education sector were beginning to yield measurable results.
He said: “These rankings are more than numbers; they show that our universities are strengthening their global standing and that investments in education are yielding measurable results.
“They reflect the dedication of our institutions and stakeholders to advancing teaching, research and innovation and demonstrate that higher education remains central to national development and competitiveness.”
The Minister noted that the rankings offered credible international validation of the government’s efforts to strengthen governance structures, improve quality assurance systems and reposition universities as centres of innovation and research excellence.
Alausa commended the University of Ibadan, University of Lagos, Bayero University Kano, Covenant University, Landmark University and Ahmadu Bello University, among others, for their contributions to teaching, research and national development.
He described Bayero University Kano’s performance as evidence that academic excellence was becoming more widespread across the country’s higher education landscape.
“The progress recorded reflects the collective efforts of both public and private universities and underscores growing confidence in Nigeria’s higher education system.
“It is particularly encouraging that excellence is no longer concentrated in a few institutions but is spreading across the country as more universities embrace global standards and institutional reforms.”
The Minister further disclosed that beyond the 24 universities that secured positions in the 2026 rankings, an additional 27 Nigerian institutions submitted data for assessment, a development he said demonstrated a growing commitment to transparency, accountability and international benchmarking within the sector.