Twenty nine Nigerian universities have been listed in the 2027 Times Higher Education World University Rankings, up from 24 in the previous edition.
The Federal Government has also directed the commencement of a national ranking of universities, polytechnics and colleges of education using 22 performance indicators.
The Federal Ministry of Education announced the figures in a statement signed by its Director of Press and Public Relations, Boriowo Folasade.
According to the Ministry, five Nigerian universities entered the global ranking for the first time, while another 32 institutions are listed in the Times Higher Education Reporter category.
This brings the number of Nigerian institutions participating in the assessment to 61.
The Ministry attributed the increased representation to reforms in the education sector.
Among Nigerian institutions, Covenant University moved from the 1001 to 1200 band to the 801 to 1000 category, joining the University of Ibadan and University of Lagos in that band.
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Ahmadu Bello University and University of Ilorin moved into the 1001 to 1200 band, while Bayero University Kano retained its position in the same category.
Babcock University and Osun State University are in the 1201 to 1400 band, while Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Obafemi Awolowo University and University of Benin are among institutions in the 1401 to 1600 category.
The assessment identified research quality as a strong area for Nigerian universities, while research environment and teaching were highlighted as areas requiring further improvement.
Meanwhile, Education Minister, Tunji Alausa has directed the Nigeria Tertiary Education Ranking Advisory Committee, led by Professor Peter Okebukola, to begin the 2026 national ranking of universities, polytechnics and colleges of education.
The Ministry says the exercise will assess institutions using 22 indicators and is intended to encourage competition and improve their performance and global visibility.
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(Editor: Ada Ononye)
