The Federal Ministry of Education has lauded Nigeria’s remarkable performance in the 2026 Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings and the Times College Sub-Saharan Africa University Rankings, describing the feat as a clear indicator that ongoing reforms in the education sector are beginning to yield significant outcomes.
In a declaration released on Thursday, the ministry said Nigeria’s improved ranking performance shows the favorable effect of the education reforms being implemented under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda and the Nigerian Education Sector Renewal Effort (NESRI).
According to the ministry, Nigeria increased its representation in the rankings from 21 universities in both 2024 and 2025 to 24 universities in 2026, making the nation the most represented country in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Amongst the nation’s highest-performing organizations are the University of Ibadan, the University of Lagos, and Bayero University, Kano. The ministry further disclosed that 17 of the 24 ranked universities are federal institutions, underscoring the growing competitiveness of Nigeria’s public higher education system.
The Honourable Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Tunji Alausa, CON, stated the rankings demonstrate that government financial investments and reforms in the education sector are producing measurable results and enhancing Nigeria’s worldwide academic credibility.
Alausa commended all the universities that made the rankings and exposed that an additional 27 Nigerian universities also took part in the evaluation procedure, suggesting increasing interest amongst institutions in benchmarking themselves against global requirements.
“The rankings show that investments in education are yielding quantifiable outcomes and strengthening Nigeria’s worldwide academic standing,” the minister stated.
Declaring the Federal Government’s commitment to sustained reforms, the ministry said efforts would continue to concentrate on enhancing quality, expanding access, enhancing research and development, and positioning Nigeria’s higher education system among the most competitive on the African continent and beyond