Lauretta Fagbohun
Abeokuta
The University of Ibadan (UI) has retained its position as Nigeria’s leading university, while the country has moved up to 48th globally in the latest AD Scientific Index ranking.
The ranking, updated on October 1, 2026, placed Nigeria third in Africa and 48th out of 221 countries, highlighting the growing international visibility of the country’s universities and researchers.
According to a report by the Chairman of the Nigerian Tertiary Education Ranking Advisory Committee (NiTERAC), Professor Peter Okebukola, the ranking assessed 53,580 Nigerian scientists across 384 institutions.
UI was ranked 889th out of nearly 19,800 universities worldwide, placing it within the top 4.5 per cent globally. It was also the only Nigerian university to feature among the world’s top 1,000 institutions. The university improved from its previous position of 904th in the mid-August ranking.
The University of Nigeria, Nsukka, retained its second position nationally, ranking 1,227th globally, while Covenant University came third in Nigeria. The University of Lagos ranked fourth, followed by Obafemi Awolowo University, University of Ilorin, Ahmadu Bello University, Nnamdi Azikiwe University and Bayero University.
The report further noted that the number of Nigerian universities featured in global rankings had increased from 257 in 2024 to more than 300 in 2026, reflecting a broader presence of Nigerian institutions on the international academic scene.
It also highlighted the growing research influence of Nigerian academics, with UI’s Professor Mayowa Owolabi emerging as the country’s most cited scholar, with 257,748 citations.
Okebukola attributed the development to the country’s expanding research capacity but stressed the need for greater research impact, stronger international collaboration and sustained investment in leading research groups to consolidate the gains.
