Nigerian universities have been praised for their performance in the 2025 World University Rankings.
Professor Peter Okebukola, Chairman of the National Universities Ranking Advisory Committee (NURAC), shared this news on his return from the Times Higher Education World Academic Summit held in Manchester, UK.
Speaking to journalists in Abuja, Okebukola expressed pride in Nigerian universities for their strong showing over the last three years.
Covenant University stood out as the only Nigerian institution ranked among the top 1000 universities in the world, placed in the 801-1000 range.
Okebukola highlighted that Covenant University continues to lead among the 274 universities in Nigeria and across much of Africa. He classified universities into different groups, with Covenant in “Band A” (top 1000), and four other Nigerian schools—Ahmadu Bello University, Landmark University, University of Ibadan, and University of Lagos—falling into “Band B” (ranked 1000-1200).
Other schools in Nigeria were placed in lower bands or in the “reporter” category, meaning they have not yet met the ranking requirements but are on their way to qualification.
Okebukola also explained the ranking system, which looks at areas like teaching quality, research, international outlook, and industry ties.
He is hopeful that Nigerian universities will improve further in future rankings with better funding and investments in research.
He urged the government to address the challenges faced by public universities, especially the need for better staff welfare and funding.
