University of Ibadan retains top Nigerian research ranking

The University of Ibadan has retained its position as Nigeria’s leading research university in the latest AD Scientific Index, according to a statement signed by Emeritus Professor Peter Okebukola, chairman of the Nigerian Tertiary Education Ranking Advisory Committee. The index, refreshed on October 1, 2026, ranked Nigeria 48th among 221 countries and third in Africa. It included 384 Nigerian institutions and 53,580 scientists.

UI was ranked 889th globally among almost 19,800 universities, placing it in the top 4.5% worldwide and making it the only Nigerian institution in the global top 1,000, the report said. It retained 14th position in Africa, improving from 904th in mid-August. The University of Nigeria, Nsukka, remained second nationally.

The University of Lagos, Obafemi Awolowo University, University of Ilorin, Ahmadu Bello University, Nnamdi Azikiwe University and Bayero University were also listed among the country’s leading institutions. At least eight of the national top 10 were federal universities. The report said 16 of the 22 Nigeria-based scholars in the national top 25 by citations worked in federal institutions.

UI’s Mayowa Owolabi was ranked Nigeria’s most-cited researcher, with 257,748 citations. The report said Nigeria’s indexed universities and scientists had increased in recent editions, but warned that research quality and impact needed deeper concentration at leading institutions. It said the index relies on publicly available scholarly records, including Google Scholar profiles, and uses the H-index, i10-index and total citations.