Olusegun Adeyemo
The University of Ibadan (UI), Oyo State, has been named Nigeria’s best university in the 2026 edition of the Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings, sparking widespread commendation across the country’s academic community.
The rankings, published on THE’s official website on Thursday, placed UI within the global 801–1000 band, ahead of all other Nigerian institutions. This marks a significant comeback for the institution, which last held the top national spot in 2023, and climbed from fourth place in 2025 to reclaim the title for 2026. UI overtook Covenant University, which had dominated the rankings in 2024 and 2025.
The Times Higher Education evaluated 2,191 universities across 115 countries, using 18 performance indicators grouped into five core areas: teaching, research environment, research quality, industry engagement, and international outlook.
Reacting to the development, Chairman of the Nigerian Universities Ranking Advisory Committee, Professor Peter Okebukola, applauded the performance of both the University of Ibadan and the University of Lagos (UNILAG), which were listed among the top 1,000 institutions globally. He noted that both institutions achieved the same overall score range of 35.5–38.9.
Okebukola, a former Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission (NUC), commended the steady improvement of Nigerian universities on the global stage, describing UI’s ascent as a testament to ongoing academic and administrative reforms.
In a further endorsement, Quacquarelli Symonds (QS), a renowned global higher education analytics firm, also affirmed UI’s top status in its own 2026 World University Rankings. QS rankings are based on criteria such as academic and employer reputation, research citations, international student and faculty ratios, sustainability, and employment outcomes.
Only three Nigerian universities made it to the QS global rankings for 2026 out of the country’s 297 institutions: University of Ibadan, University of Lagos, and Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria. UI and UNILAG were placed within the 1001–1200 band for both 2025 and 2026, while ABU appeared in the 1201–1400 band in 2026 after being unranked in 2025.
Speaking with Journal Nigeria, educationist Mr. Kayode Philip praised the University of Ibadan’s performance, calling the recognition “well-deserved.”
He urged the federal and state governments to prioritize education, emphasizing its role in national development.
“Education remains the best legacy,” he said. “It is imperative that government and stakeholders in the education sector continue to invest meaningfully in our institutions.”
Students and alumni of UI have also expressed pride in the university’s latest achievement. Many described the ranking as a reflection of the institution’s long-standing reputation for academic excellence and leadership in research and innovation.
Efforts to speak with the Public Relations Officer of the University of Ibadan prove abortive despite calls and text messages.
Founded in 1948, the University of Ibadan is Nigeria’s oldest university and has consistently remained a benchmark for higher education in the country. Its recent performance in global rankings is being hailed as a reaffirmation of its historical and academic prestige.