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The Chairman of the National Universities Ranking Advisory Committee and former Executive Secretary, National Universities Commission, Emeritus Professor Peter Okebukola, has called on the Federal Government to improve funding for Nigerian universities.
This is as he lauded Nigerian universities for another brilliant outing at the 2025 World University Rankings which was released on Wednesday, October 9, in Manchester, UK at the Times Higher Education World Academic Summit.
Addressing newsmen in Abuja on return from the summit, Okebukola noted that Nigerian universities did Africa proud and have maintained a winning streak over the last three years.
Providing further details, Okebukola noted that globally, University of Oxford was ranked first followed by Massachusetts Institute of Technology (2nd); Harvard University (3rd); Princeton University (4th); University of Cambridge (5th); Stanford University (6th); California Institute of Technology (7th); University of California, Berkeley (8th); Imperial College London (9th) and Yale University (10th).
According to him, Covenant University is the only Nigerian university that made the 1000 best universities in the world grade in the rankings.
He said, “At the Manchester event where the rankings were unveiled, Covenant University was given the thumbs up. It is ranked among the 801-1000 band.
“Covenant University has consistently outpaced all 274 Nigerian universities and most of the universities in the whole of Africa.”
Okebukola equated the top 1,000 universities as “Band A”. Band B universities, according to Okebukola’s classification, are those that are ranked between 1000 and 1200.
“Nigeria proudly had four universities in this band- Ahmadu Bello University; Landmark University; University of Ibadan; and University of Lagos; Next are the Band C universities that are ranked between 1201 and 1500.
“These are Bayero University; Federal University of Technology Akure; Federal University of Technology, Minna; University of Benin; University of Ilorin; and University of Nigeria Nsukka. Band D universities have rankings after 1500. These are Ekiti State University; Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta; Federal University of Technology, Owerri; Federal University Oye-Ekiti; Ladoke Akintola University of Technology; Lagos State University; Nnamdi Azikiwe University; Obafemi Awolowo University; University of Port Harcourt; and Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto.
“Universities that are yet to fall into Bands A, B, C, and D, that is, qualified for being ranked are in the reporter category. These universities are yet to meet the threshold of having at least 1000 citations for all staff in the university.
“The joy is that these universities are on the way leading to qualification for ranking,” Okebukola said.
In the 2025 World University Rankings, the following Nigerian universities fell within the reported category. These, in alphabetical order, are Abia State University; Akwa Ibom State University; Alex Ekwueme Federal University Ndufu-Alike; Ambrose Alli University; Baze University; Bells University of Technology; Benson Idahosa University; Bowen University; Delta State University, Abraka; Evangel University, Akaeze; Federal University of Petroleum Resources, Effurun; Godfrey Okoye University; Lagos State University of Education; Lagos State University of Science and Technology; Nasarawa State University, Keffi; Niger Delta University; Nile University of Nigeria; Osun State University; Rivers State University; Thomas Adewumi University; University of Cross River State; University of Maiduguri; and Veritas University, Abuja.
Okebukola, a former Chairman Governing Board of the National Open University of Nigeria, NOUN, further elaborated on the criteria for ranking.
According to him, Times Higher Education uses 18 carefully calibrated performance indicators to provide the most comprehensive and balanced comparisons, trusted by students, academics, university leaders, industry, and governments.
He explained that the performance indicators are grouped into five areas: Teaching (the learning environment); Research environment (volume, income, and reputation); Research quality (citation impact, research strength, research excellence, and research influence); International outlook (staff, students and research); and Industry (income and patents).
Okebukola is hopeful that Nigerian universities will keep climbing up the global league tables.
Speaking further, Okebukola noted, “As we look ahead to the 2026 World University Rankings, there is an unwavering belief that Nigerian universities are poised to achieve significant improvements and secure higher positions in the global league tables.
“The commitment from academic leadership especially vice-chancellors, government, and key stakeholders to invest in cutting-edge infrastructure for teaching and research is required to make this happen.
“Government should heed the call of staff unions to improve the funding of our public universities, improve staff welfare which is shameful low and incapable of encouraging serious commitment to research.”
