Nigerian universities global rankings could improve from 2027, Peter Okebukola says, citing research citations, competition and new assessment criteria
Nigerian universities could achieve record-breaking performances in global rankings from 2027, according to the Chairman of the Nigerian Tertiary Education and Research Analysis Committee, Emeritus Professor Peter Okebukola, who cited increased institutional competition, growing research citations and a new national ranking framework.
Okebukola made the projection at a meeting of NiTERAC and directors of academic planning on Wednesday, October 21, 2026, according to a statement issued on Thursday.
He attributed the anticipated gains partly to the Federal Government’s efforts to strengthen how tertiary institutions are assessed, including a mandatory national ranking exercise introduced by the Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, on September 1, 2026.
According to Okebukola, the exercise is encouraging federal, state and private universities to publicise their achievements in teaching, research and community service.
He said the initiative had intensified competition among institutions, including those that had previously done little to showcase their performance.
“This mandatory directory has caused mass mobilisation of tertiary institutions in the country to gear up for the 2026 national ranking exercise,” he said.
The NiTERAC chairman also pointed to the growing participation of Nigerian academics on Google Scholar and other citation-tracking platforms as a potential driver of improved international visibility.
He said increased participation had expanded the country’s available citation data, which could contribute to stronger performances in international university rankings from 2027.
Research output and citations feature directly or indirectly in several global ranking systems, although the extent to which they affect an institution’s position varies by ranking provider and methodology.
Okebukola identified the design of the 22 indicators for the 2026 national rankings as another important factor.
He said the indicators drew on four leading international ranking systems, exposing Nigerian institutions to performance measures used globally.
He added that the national ranking exercise had reached the 12th stage of a 17-step process, while assessments of polytechnics and colleges of education were also progressing.
The committee expects to complete the rankings for all categories by December 15, 2026. Okebukola said the results would be published after the Minister of Education approves NiTERAC’s recommendations.
Beyond the 2026 exercise, the committee plans to introduce thematic rankings from 2027, with a stronger emphasis on how tertiary institutions contribute to Nigeria’s development priorities.
The proposed approach would assess not only conventional academic performance but also the practical application of knowledge, graduate capabilities and innovations that address real-world challenges.
Okebukola said the indicators could include innovations developed within the preceding two years, such as patents secured, new products created and processes introduced to tackle national development problems.
He linked the proposal to calls for graduates who can apply their knowledge competently and ethically to create value for society.
He cited United Nigeria Airlines Chairman, Professor Obiora Okonkwo, who made a similar argument during the 14th convocation lecture of Afe Babalola University in Ado-Ekiti.
According to Okebukola, the proposed thematic rankings could also offer a model for other African countries pursuing the African Union’s Agenda 2063, the continent’s long-term development framework.
The initiative comes amid continuing pressure on Nigerian universities to improve research productivity, international visibility, graduate employability and their contribution to economic and social development.
However, the projected improvement in global rankings remains an expectation rather than a confirmed outcome.
Actual performance will depend on universities’ results and the methodologies applied by international ranking organisations.
