The Federal Government has commended Nigerian universities for posting their best-ever showing in the 2026 Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings, saying the feat reflects early gains from ongoing reforms in the education sector.
Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, gave the commendation in a statement on his verified X handle on Saturday, disclosing that 24 Nigerian universities featured in this year’s rankings, up from 21 in the previous edition.
He noted that the performance makes Nigeria the most represented country in Sub-Saharan Africa on the global ranking list.According to the minister, 17 of the ranked institutions are federal universities, a figure he said reflects the Federal Government’s continued investment in revamping public higher education.
He singled out the University of Ibadan, the University of Lagos, and Bayero University, Kano, among other institutions that earned global recognition for academic and research excellence.Alausa credited the achievement to education reforms under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
“Our Renewed Hope education reforms are delivering measurable results. I’m pleased to see Nigerian universities record their strongest performance yet in the 2026 Times Higher Education World University Rankings,” he said.
He added that the rise from 21 to 24 ranked universities reinforces Nigeria’s position as Sub-Saharan Africa’s most represented nation in the rankings.
