51 Nigerian varsities shine in new global ranking.
In a remarkable achievement, Covenant University, Ota, has spearheaded a group of 51 Nigerian universities that have performed exceptionally well in the inaugural Times Higher Education 2023 Sub-Saharan Africa rankings.
In a vibrant ceremony held in Accra on June 26th, Times Higher Education revealed the outcome of its 2023 Sub-Saharan university rankings.
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A delegation from Nigeria, headed by Professor Peter Okebukola, Chairman of the Nigerian Universities Ranking Advisory Committee, was in attendance at the event.
In a statement released on Wednesday, it was reported that the Nigerian delegation was headed by Okebukola, as confirmed by the National Universities Commission.
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As per his statement, Covenant University has secured the seventh position in Sub-Saharan Africa and has emerged as the top-ranked university in Nigeria.
In a recent development, several universities have made it to the elite list of top-performing institutions in Nigeria. Among them, the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta secured the 26th position, followed by Benson Idahosa University at 30th, and Nnamdi Azikiwe University at 31st. Other notable mentions include Redeemer’s University at 35th, University of Ibadan at 36th, CRUTECH at 37th, and OAU, Ife at 39th. Additionally, Umaru Musa Yar’Adua University, Adeleke University, and Ahmadu Bello University secured the 43rd, 45th, and 46th positions, respectively.
Nigerian Passport Ranking falls by 38 places in global rankings.
In a recent ranking of Nigerian universities by the National Universities Commission (NUC), Covenant University has emerged as the best private university in the country, taking the second position overall. Other private universities that made the top 50 include the University of Benin, Landmark University, Babcock University, Ajayi Crowther University, the Bells University of Technology, and Baze University. Federal University Kashere, Federal University Lokoja, Gombe State University, Lagos State University, and the University of Port Harcourt also made the top 60. Delta State University, Elizade University, and Niger Delta University were among those ranked in the 61-70th category, while Abia State University, Alex Ekwueme Federal University, Ndufu-Alike, Bamidele Olumilua University of Education, Ikere, Bauch State University, Bayero University, Edo State University, LAUTECH, Lead City University, NOUN, Glorious Vision University (formerly Samuel Adegboyega University), Veritas University, and Yusuf Maitama Sule University, Kano were ranked in the 71+ category.
The former Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission has revealed that the sub-Saharan African rankings are based on a methodology that encompasses five pillars. These pillars include resources and finance, access and fairness, teaching skills, student engagement, and Africa impact, each accounting for 20% of the overall ranking.
According to his observation, Nigerian universities have performed remarkably well on all fronts, although there is still ample opportunity for enhancement.
According to Okebukola, the former Chairman of the Governing Board of the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN), the sub-Saharan university rankings have been released for the first time. He noted that although Nigerian universities did not take the lead in this edition, they are expected to do so in the next and subsequent editions.
The institution has expressed its commitment to enhancing its metrics by focusing on improving the quality of teaching. This will be achieved through the implementation of the Core Curriculum and Minimum Academic Standards research. Additionally, the institution plans to provide better services to its students.
According to Okebukola, Duncan Ross, the Chief Data Officer of Times Higher Education, praised Nigerian universities for their advancements in global and regional league tables during the unveiling ceremony and the Sub-Saharan University Forum. The forum focused on “Revolutionising African Higher Education.”
Ross reports that out of the 121 universities that provided data, the largest proportion of contributors were Nigerian universities, accounting for 42%. South Africa followed with 12% and Ghana with 7%. According to Professor Okebukola, the revolution aimed at enhancing the quality of university education in Nigeria has been attributed to the efforts of Professor Abubakar Adamu Rasheed, the Executive Secretary of NUC, and the former Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu.
