Nigerian universities, led by federal institutions, have recorded significant gains in the latest edition of the AD Scientific Index, with the country ranking third in Africa and 48th globally among 221 countries.
According to a report by Professor Peter A. Okebukola, Chairman of the Nigerian Tertiary Education Ranking Advisory Committee (NiTERAC), the latest rankings, refreshed on October 1, 2026, indexed 53,580 Nigerian scientists across 384 institutions, giving Nigeria the largest number of indexed researchers among Africa’s three leading research countries.
The report indicated that the University of Ibadan retained its position as Nigeria’s leading university, ranking 889th among nearly 19,800 universities globally and placing within the top 4.5 per cent worldwide. It is also the only Nigerian university in the global top 1,000.
It further showed that the university improved from 904th place in mid-August to 889th in the October update and has maintained 14th position in Africa across the 2025, 2026 and 2027 editions.
According to it, the University of Nigeria, Nsukka retained second position nationally, ranking 1,227th globally and 31st in Africa, while Covenant University emerged as the third-ranked Nigerian university. The University of Lagos placed fourth nationally, followed by Obafemi Awolowo University, the University of Ilorin, Ahmadu Bello University, Nnamdi Azikiwe University and Bayero University.
The report noted that federal universities occupied at least eight of the top 10 positions nationally, describing them as the core of Nigeria’s research strength.
It also noted a broadening of Nigeria’s presence in the rankings, with the number of Nigerian universities ranked increasing from 257 in the 2024 edition to more than 300 in 2026.
Covenant University recorded the largest individual movement among Nigerian institutions, rising 457 places from 1,857th globally in the 2026 edition to 1,400th in the 2027 edition, while retaining third position nationally.
The rankings also highlighted the performance of Nigerian researchers. Mayowa Owolabi of the University of Ibadan emerged as Nigeria’s most cited scholar, with 257,748 citations, placing him 676th among more than 2.6 million indexed researchers worldwide.
According to the report, he was followed by Shafiu Mohammed of Ahmadu Bello University, with 242,300 citations and a global position of 776th, while Olayinka Ilesanmi of the University of Ibadan ranked third in Nigeria with 185,602 citations.
It further explained that Sixteen of the 22 Nigeria-based scholars in the national top 25 by citations are affiliated with federal institutions, with the University of Ibadan alone accounting for five.
The report also cited the Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2027 as corroboration of the gains. Nigeria’s representation increased from 24 universities in the 2026 edition to 29 in 2027, with 19 of the 29 institutions being federal universities.
According to the report, Ahmadu Bello University and the University of Ilorin moved into the 1001–1200 band, while Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Obafemi Awolowo University and the University of Benin moved into the 1401–1600 band.
Prof Okebukola , a time Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission,NUC, said the gains showed increasing research visibility across Nigeria’s university system, while stressing the need for stronger research impact, international collaboration and sustained investment in leading research groups.
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