UI, UNILAG Break into Global Top 1,000 Best Universities in Latest Ranking
- The University of Ibadan and the University of Lagos were ranked among the top 1,000 universities worldwide in the 2026 Times Higher Education ranking
- UI reclaimed its position as Nigeria’s best university, ahead of UNILAG, Bayero University Kano, and Covenant University
- Professor Peter Okebukola said the ranking marked a notable improvement for Nigerian universities on the global stage
The University of Ibadan and the University of Lagos have been ranked among the top 1,000 universities in the world according to the 2026 Times Higher Education World University Rankings released on Thursday.
The achievement marked a major milestone for Nigeria’s higher education sector, which saw only Covenant University make the elite list in 2025.
Source: UGC
UI, UNILAG secure spots in global ranking
Chairman of the Nigerian Universities Ranking Advisory Committee, Professor Emeritus Peter Okebukola, described the development as a significant step forward for Nigerian institutions.
He said both UI and UNILAG achieved an overall score range between 35.5 and 38.9, positioning them among the world’s best performers in teaching, research, and innovation.
“This is an improvement over the 2025 league tables where only one Nigerian university, Covenant University, was ranked among the top 1,000 and the best in Nigeria,” Okebukola stated.
The Times Higher Education ranking assessed 2,191 institutions from 115 countries using 18 performance indicators across five key areas: teaching, research environment, research quality, industry, and international outlook.
According to Okebukola, the 2026 ranking placed Oxford University in first position, followed by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Princeton University, the University of Cambridge, Harvard University, and Stanford University.
“Interestingly, Harvard that had maintained a consistent lead in the early years of the ranking slipped to the fifth position and yielded to Oxford that retains the number one spot for the tenth consecutive year, driven by strong research environment score. Two Nigerian universities were ranked among the top 1,000,” he said.
Times Higher Education names Nigeria’s top universities
Okebukola further explained that other Nigerian universities performed strongly in different bands. Bayero University Kano, Covenant University, and Landmark University were all ranked among the top 1,200 globally, with an overall score range of 32.1 to 35.4.
However, he noted that the 2026 results reflected a slight drop in performance, as four Nigerian institutions made the 1,200 category in 2025 compared to three this year.
Source: Getty Images
The next group of ranked Nigerian universities includes Ahmadu Bello University, the Federal University of Technology Minna, the University of Ilorin, the University of Jos, and the University of Nigeria Nsukka, which all appeared in the 1,201 to 1,500 band. Fourteen others were placed in the 1,500+ category.
The University of Ibadan reclaimed its position as Nigeria’s top university, a spot it last held in 2023.
The institution, located in Oyo state, rose from fourth place in 2025 to the top of the national list, while the University of Lagos followed closely in second place. Bayero University and Covenant University ranked third and fourth respectively.
Data from THE showed that over 174 million citations and 18.7 million research publications were analysed, alongside survey responses from more than 108,000 scholars worldwide.
The University of Lagos recorded the highest score in research quality among Nigerian universities, with 66.7 points.
Top 10 universities in Nigeria
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that the University of Ibadan reclaimed its position as Nigeria’s top-ranked institution in the Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2026.
The latest rankings reflect a reshuffling of Nigeria’s academic hierarchy, with UNILAG, BUK, and Covenant University trailing behind UI.
Out of 51 Nigerian universities assessed, only two made it into the global top 1000 bracket.
Proofreading by Funmilayo Aremu, copy editor at Legit.ng.
Source: Legit.ng
