Nigeria Tops Sub-Saharan Africa with 29 Universities Ranked

Nigeria has emerged as the most represented country in sub-Saharan Africa in the 2027 Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings, with 29 universities ranked, an increase from 24 in 2026. This information was provided by Emeritus Professor Peter Okebukola, Chairman of the Nigerian Tertiary Education Ranking Advisory Committee (NiTERAC), following the rankings' release on Wednesday.

The 2027 edition evaluated 2,297 universities across 118 countries, compared to 2,191 in 2026. Nigeria's 29 ranked universities account for 42 percent of the 69 institutions ranked in sub-Saharan Africa.

Additionally, 32 Nigerian universities were categorized as Reporters, totaling 61 institutions engaging with the ranking. Covenant University, the University of Ibadan, and the University of Lagos jointly occupy the highest Nigerian position in the 801–1000 global band.

The number of federal universities in the top 1,200 increased from three in 2026 to five in 2027. Nigeria also had the highest number of Reporter institutions in sub-Saharan Africa, with 32 universities submitting data but not meeting ranking requirements.