24 Nigerian Universities Make 2026 Times Higher Education Rankings (Full List)

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Nigeria has recorded its strongest performance yet in the 2026 Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings and Sub-Saharan Africa University Rankings, with 24 universities making the list.

This is the highest number of Nigerian institutions ever featured in the rankings, making Nigeria the most represented country in Sub-Saharan Africa. It also marks an improvement from the 21 universities listed in both the 2024 and 2025 editions.

The University of Ibadan (UI) emerged as Nigeria’s highest-ranked university, followed by the University of Lagos (UNILAG) and Bayero University Kano (BUK).

The rankings also highlight the growing performance of universities across the country. Of the 24 institutions recognised, 17 are federal universities, four are state-owned universities, and three are private universities.

The latest rankings also show increased global recognition for specialised universities, particularly federal universities of technology and agriculture. State universities also continued to improve their performance through stronger research output and institutional development.

Full List of Nigerian Universities in the 2026 Times Higher Education Rankings

1. University of Ibadan (UI)
2. University of Lagos (UNILAG)
3. Bayero University Kano (BUK)
4. Covenant University
5. Landmark University
6. Ahmadu Bello University (ABU)
7. Federal University of Technology, Minna (FUTMINNA)
8. University of Ilorin (UNILORIN)
9. University of Jos (UNIJOS)
10. University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN)
11. Babcock University
12. Delta State University, Abraka (DELSU)
13. Ekiti State University (EKSU)
14. Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB)
15. Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA)
16. Federal University of Technology, Owerri (FUTO)
17. Federal University Oye-Ekiti (FUOYE)
18. Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH)
19. Lagos State University (LASU)
20. Nnamdi Azikiwe University (UNIZIK)
21. Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU)
22. University of Benin (UNIBEN)
23. University of Calabar (UNICAL)
24. University of Port Harcourt (UNIPORT)

The 2026 rankings reflect the continued progress of Nigerian universities in research, teaching, innovation and global academic recognition, with more institutions gaining international visibility than ever before.