Nigeria has expanded its presence in global university research rankings, with more than 300 institutions now featured and the country ranked 48th worldwide, according to the latest AD Scientific Index.
The ranking, refreshed on October 1, 2026, placed Nigeria third in Africa among 221 countries and indexed 53,580 Nigerian scientists across 384 institutions.
The figures were highlighted in a report by the Chairman of the Nigerian Tertiary Education Ranking Advisory Committee, Prof. Peter Okebukola, who said the results showed a widening research footprint across the country’s higher education system.
The number of Nigerian universities included in the rankings has risen from 257 in the 2024 edition to more than 300 in 2026.
The University of Ibadan retained its position as Nigeria’s highest-ranked university, moving from 904th globally in the mid-August update to 889th in October.
The institution, which remains the only Nigerian university among the global top 1,000, ranked 14th in Africa.
The University of Nigeria, Nsukka, retained second place nationally, ranking 1,227th globally and 31st in Africa, while Covenant University came third.
They were followed nationally by the University of Lagos, Obafemi Awolowo University, University of Ilorin, Ahmadu Bello University, Nnamdi Azikiwe University and Bayero University.
The report said federal universities occupied at least eight of the top 10 positions nationally, describing them as the “core” of Nigeria’s research strength.
Covenant University recorded one of the biggest improvements, moving from 1,857th globally in the 2026 edition to 1,400th in the 2027 edition, a rise of 457 places.
Nigeria’s research performance was also reflected in individual scholars’ rankings.
Prof. Mayowa Owolabi of the University of Ibadan emerged as Nigeria’s most cited scholar, with 257,748 citations, ranking 676th among more than 2.6 million researchers indexed globally.
He was followed by Shafiu Mohammed of Ahmadu Bello University, with 242,300 citations, while Olayinka Ilesanmi of the University of Ibadan ranked third nationally with 185,602 citations.
Sixteen of the 22 Nigeria-based scholars listed among the national top 25 by citations were affiliated with federal institutions, with the University of Ibadan alone accounting for five.
The country’s representation also increased in the Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2027, rising from 24 universities in the 2026 edition to 29.
Federal universities accounted for 19 of the 29 Nigerian institutions listed.
Ahmadu Bello University and the University of Ilorin moved into the 1001–1200 global band, while Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Obafemi Awolowo University and the University of Benin advanced into the 1401–1600 band.
Okebukola, a former Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission, said the latest results showed that Nigerian universities were gaining greater visibility in global research.
He, however, said the next challenge was to turn the visibility into greater research impact.
“The improvements demonstrated growing research visibility across the country’s university system,” he said, stressing the need for stronger research impact, international collaboration and sustained investment in leading research groups.
He said the latest performance provided evidence of progress but also underscored the need for universities and policymakers to consolidate the gains and strengthen Nigeria’s research ecosystem.
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