In a statement released in Abuja on Thursday, Okebukola described the development as a major milestone for Nigeria’s higher education system, noting that both universities achieved an overall range score of 35.5–38.9, marking a clear improvement over the previous year’s performance.
“This is an improvement over the 2025 league tables, where only one Nigerian university — Covenant University — was ranked among the top 1000 and the best in Nigeria,” he said.
Okebukola explained that the THE World University Rankings employ 18 carefully calibrated performance indicators to assess institutions across five key areas: teaching, research environment, research quality, industry engagement, and international outlook. He added that the ranking remains one of the most respected global benchmarks, trusted by students, academics, and policymakers.
The 2026 edition surveyed 2,191 institutions from 115 countries, analysing more than 174.9 million citations from 18.7 million research publications, alongside responses from over 108,000 scholars worldwide.
At the global level, Oxford University retained its number-one position for the tenth consecutive year, followed by Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Princeton University, University of Cambridge, Harvard University, and Stanford University.
“Interestingly, Harvard, which had maintained a consistent lead in the early years of the ranking, slipped to fifth, yielding to Oxford, which continues to dominate due to its strong research environment score,” Okebukola noted.
Beyond the top 1000, Bayero University Kano (BUK), Covenant University, and Landmark University were listed among the top 1200 universities globally, with a score range of 32.1–35.4. Okebukola observed that while this represents a slight drop from 2025 — when four Nigerian universities made the 1200 band — the country remains competitive in sub-Saharan Africa’s academic landscape.
In the 1201–1500 band are Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Federal University of Technology Minna (FUT Minna), University of Ilorin (UNILORIN), University of Jos (UNIJOS), and University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN). Fourteen other institutions were ranked in the 1500+ category.
Okebukola, who also served as Chairman of the Governing Board of the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN), noted that the new ranking reflects Nigeria’s steady progress in global academia. He encouraged universities to sustain their momentum through stronger research output, better international collaboration, and improved quality assurance practices.
PUNCH Online earlier reported that the University of Ibadan, ranked between 801 and 1000 globally, reclaimed its position as Nigeria’s best university, a title it last held in 2023. It was followed by University of Lagos, Bayero University Kano, and Covenant University in the national ranking.
UNILAG also stood out for its research performance, achieving a 66.7 score in research quality — the highest among Nigerian institutions in this year’s rankings.
Okebukola lauded the improvement as a sign of the country’s academic resilience, saying, “Our universities are rising steadily on the global scale. With continued investment in research, innovation, and academic integrity, Nigeria can secure even higher placements in coming years.”