UNIZIK Rises to Joint Fourth in Nigeria in 2027 Times Higher Education World Rankings

By Ikemefuna Asika

The Nnamdi Azikiwe University (UNIZIK), Awka, has recorded a significant upward movement in the 2027 Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings, emerging among the top four universities in Nigeria.

The development was announced by THE on Wednesday, September 30, 2026, during the World Academic Summit hosted by the University of Cape Town, South Africa.

UNIZIK’s latest position marks an improvement after the university remained within the same ranking band for more than five years.

The 2027 THE World University Rankings is the largest edition to date, featuring 2,297 universities across 118 countries and territories, compared with 2,191 institutions ranked in the 2026 edition.

Reacting to the development, the Chairman of the Senate Committee on University Ranking, Prof. George Uchenna Eleje, congratulated the Vice-Chancellor of UNIZIK, Prof. Ugochukwu Bond Anyaehie, for what he described as his support for efforts aimed at improving the university’s global standing. “We will get better in the coming years,” Eleje said.

UNIZIK was among seven Nigerian universities that recorded a clear upward movement in the 2027 rankings.

The other institutions are Covenant University, Ahmadu Bello University, the University of Ilorin, Babcock University, Obafemi Awolowo University and the University of Benin.

Globally, the University of Oxford retained the number-one position for the 11th consecutive year, finishing just 0.1 points ahead of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

China’s Tsinghua University climbed to 11th place, marking the highest position ever achieved by an Asian university in the rankings. For the first time, three Asian universities are ranked among the global top 15.

Nigeria remains the most represented country in sub-Saharan Africa, with 29 universities ranked out of 69 institutions in the region, representing 42 per cent. This is an increase from 24 Nigerian universities in the 2026 edition, with five new institutions entering the rankings.

An additional 32 Nigerian universities were placed in THE’s Reporter category, bringing the country’s total representation to 61 institutions.

At the national level, Covenant University, the University of Ibadan and the University of Lagos share the top Nigerian position, occupying the 801–1000 global band.

Covenant University moved up from the 1001–1200 band to join the University of Ibadan and University of Lagos in the 801–1000 category.

Meanwhile, Ahmadu Bello University, Bayero University, Landmark University and the University of Ilorin are ranked in the 1001–1200 band.

With these placements, seven Nigerian universities now feature within the global top 1,200 in the 2027 Times Higher Education World University Rankings.

The latest ranking represents another milestone in UNIZIK’s efforts to strengthen its academic profile and global visibility.
#