Nigeria's Education Sector Thrives with 29 Universities Ranked

Nigeria has enhanced its global higher education presence, with 29 universities featured in the 2027 Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings, an increase from 24 in the previous edition. This positions Nigeria as the country with the highest number of ranked universities in Sub-Saharan Africa, as stated by Boriowo Folasade, Director of Press and Public Relations at the Federal Ministry of Education.

The ministry credits this achievement to ongoing reforms in the education sector under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Minister of Education Dr. Maruf Tunji Alausa, focusing on improving research, innovation, and institutional performance. Among the 29 ranked universities, five are debutants, and a total of 61 Nigerian tertiary institutions participated in the ranking exercise.

Federal universities significantly contributed to this success, with five of the seven Nigerian universities in the global 1,200 bracket being federal institutions. The University of Ibadan and University of Lagos retained their positions in the 801–1000 band, while Covenant University improved to the same band from 1001–1200.