The University of Ilorin (UNILORIN) has emerged as Nigeria’s top-ranked university in research quality in the latest Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings, scoring 69.4%.
The score was the highest recorded by any Nigerian university ranked in the research quality category in the 2026 edition of the global rankings.
The latest ranking was released on Wednesday, September 30, 2026, at the World Academic Summit hosted by the University of Cape Town, South Africa.
According to a statement issued by Kunle Akogun, Director of corporate affairs, the THE ranking assesses universities across five broad pillars: teaching, research environment, research quality, international outlook and industry.
Akogun quoted Suleiman Folorunso Ambali, university ranking implementation project manager, as saying that research quality remained UNILORIN’s strongest area of performance.
“Research quality is UNILORIN’s strongest turf,” Ambali said, adding that the university would seek to leverage the strength for greater international recognition and work towards the 801–1000 band in the next edition of the ranking.
An analysis of the latest results, according to the university, showed that UNILORIN moved from the 1201–1500 band in the previous ranking to the 1001–1200 global band.
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“Our university is now one of the seven Nigerian universities in the global top 1,200,” Akogun said.
He added that UNILORIN outperformed the University of Lagos, Bayero University, Kano, and the University of Ibadan in research quality, which accounts for 30 percent of the overall THE score and measures the reach and influence of a university’s research through scholarly citations.
Reacting to the development, Wahab Olasupo Egbewole, vice chancellor of the university, said the performance reflected years of sustained scholarship and research by members of the university community.
“This outcome is not accidental but a reflection of years of patient, disciplined scholarship by colleagues who publish work that the world reads and cites,” Egbewole said.
The vice chancellor commended lecturers, researchers, postgraduate supervisors and students whose contributions, he said, had helped to strengthen the university’s performance in the global rankings.
