UI emerges best varsity in Nigeria, UNILAG, Covenant, UNN, OAU follow
The University of Ibadan (UI) has emerged as Nigeria’s highest-ranked institution in the Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings 2026.
According to the rankings published on Thursday on THE’s official website, UI was placed in the 801–1000 global band, making it the top-ranked Nigerian university in the 2026 edition. The achievement marks a return to the summit for UI, which last held the position in 2023.
The 2026 rankings assessed 2,191 universities across 115 countries, using 18 performance indicators grouped under five key areas: teaching, research environment, research quality, industry engagement, and international outlook. The assessment drew from over 174.9 million citations from 18.7 million research publications, as well as survey responses from more than 108,000 scholars worldwide.
UI climbed from fourth position in Nigeria in the 2025 rankings to reclaim the top spot, displacing Covenant University, which led Nigerian institutions in both the 2024 and 2025 editions.
Alongside UI, the University of Lagos (UNILAG) was the only other Nigerian institution to feature in the global top 1000, also ranked in the 801–1000 category.
Bayero University Kano (BUK), Covenant University, and Landmark University were all placed in the 1001–1200 global band.
In terms of performance strengths, UNILAG recorded the highest research quality score among Nigerian universities with 66.7. Bayero University Kano led in international outlook, while Covenant University ranked highest nationally for industry engagement, reflecting its strong collaboration with the private sector.
Several Nigerian institutions were placed in the 1201–1500 global band, including Ahmadu Bello University, Federal University of Technology Minna, University of Ilorin, University of Jos, and the University of Nigeria, Nsukka.
A larger group of universities appeared in the 1501+ category, reflecting ongoing challenges in global competitiveness despite inclusion in the rankings.
In total, 51 Nigerian universities featured in the Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2026. However, only two—UI and UNILAG—made it into the global top 1000. Fourteen institutions were ranked in the 1501+ category, while 27 universities that submitted data were not ranked.
1. University of Ibadan
2. University of Lagos
3. Bayero University Kano
4. Covenant University
5. Landmark University
6. Ahmadu Bello University
7. Federal University of Technology, Minna
8. University of Ilorin
9. University of Jos
10. University of Nigeria, Nsukka
11. Babcock University
12. Delta State University, Abraka
13. Ekiti State University
14. Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta
15. Federal University of Technology, Akure
16. Federal University of Technology, Owerri
17. Federal University Oye-Ekiti
18. Ladoke Akintola University of Technology
19. Lagos State University
20. Nnamdi Azikiwe University
21. Obafemi Awolowo University
22. University of Benin
23. University of Calabar
24. University of Port Harcourt
