FG Applauds UI, UNILAG, Others Over Improved World University Rankings

Minister of Education Tunji Alausa has commended Nigerian universities for delivering their best-ever showing in the 2026 Times Higher Education World University Rankings, describing it as proof that the Federal Government's education reforms are producing tangible results. In a post on his X handle on Saturday, Alausa noted that 24 Nigerian universities made this year's global rankings, up from 21 in previous editions, positioning Nigeria as the most represented country in Sub-Saharan Africa. He said 17 of those institutions are federal universities, which he described as a sign of progress in strengthening the country's public higher education system. The minister singled out the University of Ibadan, the University of Lagos, and Bayero University, Kano, among the Nigerian institutions recognised. "Our Renewed Hope Education reforms are delivering measurable results. I'm pleased to see Nigerian universities record their strongest performance yet in the 2026 Times Higher Education World University Rankings," he wrote, adding that having 17 federal universities on the list reflected the strides being made in public higher education. Alausa said the rankings carry weight beyond prestige, pointing to them as evidence that ongoing investments in research, innovation, digital transformation, quality assurance, infrastructure and governance are starting to pay off on the global stage. He also noted that 27 additional Nigerian universities took part in this year's assessment process for the first time, which he described as a sign of growing commitment to transparency, benchmarking and continuous improvement across the sector. The minister reaffirmed the Federal Government's commitment to the Nigerian Education Sector Renewal Initiative (NESRI) under President Bola Tinubu's administration, stating that the goal remains ensuring Nigerian universities produce the knowledge, innovation and talent needed to shape the country's future.