Kamsiyochukwu Mbamalu
Ranked in band 800-1000, Nigeria’s two best universities – the Univesity of Ibadan (UI) and the University of Lagos (UNILAG) – have both moved back into the world’s top 1000 universities. This is according to the prestigious Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings 2026 unveiled at the World Academic Summit hosted by the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) in Saudi Arabia, on Thursday.
Ranking 801–1,000, up from 1,001–1,200 last year, the University of Ibadan re-entered the global top 1, 000. The UI, according to the report which was made available to Prime Business Africa, was noted for its improvements in research influence and international collaboration. Also ranking 801–1,000, up from 1,001–1,200, breaking into the world’s top 1000 for the first time, University of Lagos was noted for improved citation scores and global visibility, which the assessors said was instrumental to boosting its ranking.
Join our WhatsApp ChannelThe most represented in Sub Saharan Africa region
The ranking assessed more than 3,000 universities worldwide using 19 million research papers, 1.5 million academic reputation survey votes, and extensive institutional data.
Prime Business Africa had on Thursday morning reported that South Africa made impressive strides at the top of the table in the Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2026, leading a year of significant gains for Sub-Saharan Africa’s higher education sector.
The special report noted that the University of Cape Town (UCT), South Africa’s leading institution and number one in Sub-Saharan Africa, jumped 16 places to joint 164th globally. The feat represents UCT’s highest-ever position, up from joint 180th it recorded in 2025.
READ ALSO: South Africa Leads as Nigeria, Uganda Make Global Top 1,000 in 2026 University Rankings
Www.primebusiness.africa also reported that the achievement cements UCT’s reputation as “the continent’s academic powerhouse and a consistent global performer.”
The Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2026, unveiled at the World Academic Summit hosted by KAUST in Saudi Arabia, assessed more than 3,000 universities worldwide using 19 million research papers, 1.5 million academic reputation survey votes, and extensive institutional data.
Below is the Summary of how African countries performed in the global context of the ranking:
- South Africa‘s top institution, University of Cape Town, jumps forward 16 places to joint 164th
- Best-ever performance by University of Johannesburg, moving into the top 400
- Makerere University in Uganda jumps up two bands to top 1,000
- University of Lagos and University of Ibadan in Nigeria move into top 1,000
- 55 universities ranked from 14 countries or territories in Sub-Saharan Africa
- Six newcomers ranked in the region
- Senegal makes its debut in the ranking
- University of Oxford in United Kingdom is global number one for 10th consecutive year
- United States has seven top-10 universities
- Record 2,191 institutions ranked overall
- 115 countries and territories represented
- THE World University Rankings is the most comprehensive and balanced assessment of global research universities – built on an analysis of almost 19 million research papers, 1.5 million votes in an Academic Reputation Survey and detailed institutional data on more than 3,000 universities worldwide
- Rankings launched at World Academic Summit hosted by KAUST in Saudi Arabia
READ ALSO: UI Not First
