The University of Ibadan (UI) has officially been ranked as Nigeria’s top university in the 2026 Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings. This marks a triumphant return to the number-one spot for the federal institution, which last held the title in 2023. UI surged from fourth place in 2025 to lead the national table, placing within the 801–1,000 band globally1.
The rankings evaluated 2,191 universities across 115 countries using 18 performance indicators spanning teaching, research environment, research quality, industry engagement, and international outlook. UI’s rise was driven by improvements in published research output, global citations, and strategic international collaborations.
Following UI, the University of Lagos (UNILAG) secured second place nationally, also appearing in the 801–1,000 global bracket. Bayero University Kano (BUK) and Covenant University (CU)—which had dominated the rankings in 2024 and 2025—placed third and fourth respectively. UNILAG earned the highest research quality score among Nigerian institutions, while BUK led in international outlook and CU excelled in industry partnerships.
Out of 51 Nigerian universities assessed, only UI and UNILAG made it into the top 1,000 globally. The achievement has been widely celebrated as a testament to UI’s legacy, resilience, and renewed commitment to academic excellence.
