By Frank Ulom
The University of Calabar, UNICAL, has made it to the 2026 Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings and the Times Higher Education Sub-Saharan Africa University Rankings.
The ever-innovative university now under the leadership of Prof. Offiong Offiong, was among the 24 universities in Nigeria that made it to that list.
It was also among the four universities in the South South that made the list, including Delta State University, Abraka, University of Benin, and University of Port Harcourt.
The latest rankings place the University of Ibadan and the University of Lagos among Nigeria’s highest-ranked universities, while Bayero University Kano emerged as one of the country’s top-performing institutions. Nigeria also increased its representation in the global rankings from 21 universities in 2024 and 2025 to 24 universities in 2026, making it the most represented country in Sub-Saharan Africa.
The Nigerian contingent comprises 17 federal universities, three state universities and four private universities, underscoring the increasing competitiveness of the country’s tertiary education sector across teaching, research, knowledge transfer and international outlook.
The rankings also reflect the growing recognition of specialised institutions, with several federal universities of technology and agriculture earning places, while state-owned universities continued to strengthen their global standing through improved academic performance and research output.
Below are the 24 Nigerian universities that featured in the 2026 THE ranking:
1. University of Ibadan
2. University of Lagos
3. Bayero University Kano
4. Covenant University
5. Landmark University
6. Ahmadu Bello University
7. Federal University of Technology, Minna
8. University of Ilorin
9. University of Jos
10. University of Nigeria, Nsukka
11. Babcock University
12. Delta State University, Abraka
13. Ekiti State University
14. Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta
15. Federal University of Technology, Akure
16. Federal University of Technology, Owerri
17. Federal University Oye-Ekiti
18. Ladoke Akintola University of Technology
19. Lagos State University
20. Nnamdi Azikiwe University
21. Obafemi Awolowo University
22. University of Benin
23. University of Calabar
24. University of Port Harcourt
Reacting to the latest rankings, the Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, described the achievement as a significant milestone for Nigeria’s higher education sector, saying it reflects the positive outcomes of ongoing reforms aimed at strengthening the nation’s universities.
He noted that the growing international recognition of Nigerian institutions underscores the Federal Government’s commitment to transforming tertiary education into a catalyst for innovation, research, human capital development and sustainable national growth.
