No fewer than 24 Nigerian universities have been listed in the 2026 World University Rankings by Subject, released on Wednesday, January 21, 2026.
The achievement represents Nigeria’s highest-ever presence in the global subject rankings and positions the country as the most represented in Sub-Saharan Africa in the 2026 edition.
The milestone was confirmed in a statement issued on Thursday, January 22, 2026, by the Nigerian Universities Ranking Advisory Committee (NURAC).
According to the committee, the institutions featured include the University of Ibadan; University of Lagos; Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria; Bayero University, Kano; University of Benin; University of Jos; University of Nigeria, Nsukka; Babcock University; Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife; University of Ilorin; Ladoke Akintola University of Technology; Lagos State University; Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka; University of Calabar; University of Port Harcourt; Landmark University; Covenant University; Federal University of Technology, Minna; Federal University of Technology, Akure; Federal University of Technology, Owerri; Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta; Federal University, Oye-Ekiti; and Delta State University, Abraka.
NURAC praised the universities for stronger performances across multiple disciplines, noting that the results indicate consistent progress in teaching quality, research output, and international engagement.
The 2026 subject rankings evaluated institutions across 11 academic areas, including Arts and Humanities, Business and Economics, Computer Science, Education Studies, Engineering, Law, Life Sciences, Medical and Health, Physical Sciences, Psychology, and Social Sciences.
Explaining the methodology, NURAC Chairman and former Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission (NUC), Prof. Emeritus Peter Okebukola, stated that the rankings rely on 18 performance indicators grouped under five major pillars. These include Teaching (learning environment) at about 30 per cent, Research Environment at roughly 29 per cent, Research Quality at around 30 per cent, International Outlook at 7.5 per cent, and Industry engagement and knowledge transfer at 4 per cent.
In the overall global highlights, the University of Ibadan and the University of Lagos were ranked among the top 1,000 universities worldwide. The University of Ibadan also reclaimed its position as Nigeria’s highest-ranked institution, ahead of the University of Lagos, Bayero University Kano, and Covenant University.
Prof. Okebukola noted that the 2026 results signal a sustained improvement in Nigeria’s global academic profile, driven by gains in teaching standards, research productivity, and international collaboration.
