At least 51 Nigerian universities, led by Covenant University, Ota, have made impressive outing at the first Times Higher Education 2023 Sub-Saharan Africa rankings.
At a colourful unveiling event in Accra on Monday, Times Higher Education announced the results of its 2023 Sub-Saharan university rankings.
The event was attended by a delegation from Nigeria led by the Chairman of the Nigerian Universities Ranking Advisory Committee, Prof. Peter Okebukola.
According to a statement by the National Universities Commission, on Wednesday, Okebukola led the Nigerian delegation.
According to him, “Covenant University emerged in the seventh position in Sub-Saharan Africa and the No one in Nigeria.
“Other universities that appeared on the elite list and their ranks are Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (26th) Benson Idahosa University (30th), Nnamdi Azikiwe University (31st ), Redeemer’s University (35), University of Ibadan (36th), CRUTECH (37th), OAU, Ife (39th) Umaru Musa Yar’Adua University (43rd ), Adeleke University (45th), and Ahmadu Bello University (46th ).
“Others are: the University of Benin (47th), Landmark University(49th), Babcock University (50th), Ajayi Crowther University (51-60th), the Bells University of Technology (51st-60th ), Federal University Kashere (51st-60th ), Federal University Lokoja (51st-60th ), Gombe State University (51st-60th ), Lagos State University (51st-60th ), the University of Port Harcourt (51st-60th ), Baze University (51st-60th ), Delta State University (61st-70th ), Elizade University (61st-70th ), Niger Delta University (61st-70th ), Abia State University (71st+), Alex Ekwueme Federal University, Ndufu-Alike (71st+), Bamidele Olumilua University of Education, Ikere (71st+), Bauch State University (71st+), Bayero University (71st+), Edo State University (71st+), LAUTECH (71st+), Lead City University (71st+), National Open University of Nigeria NOUN (71st+), Glorious Vision University (formerly Samuel Adegboyega University (71st+), Veritas University (71st+), and Yusuf Maitama Sule University, Kano (71st+).
According to the former Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission, “the methodology of the sub-Saharan African rankings is on “five pillars- resources and finance (20 per cent); access and fairness (20 per cent); teaching skills (20 per cent); student engagement (20 per cent) and Africa impact (20 per cent)”.
He noted that on all measures, Nigerian universities did impressively well, with much room for improvement.
Okebukola, who was the immediate past Chairman Governing Board of NOUN, noted that “since this is the first edition of the sub-Saharan university rankings, by the next and subsequent editions, Nigerian universities will leap to the lead.
“We will continue to improve on the metrics through better quality teaching, especially with the incoming Core Curriculum and Minimum Academic Standards research and provision of better services for our students”, he said
Okebukola further noted that during the unveiling ceremony and the Sub-Saharan University Forum which preceded it on “Revolutionising African Higher Education”, Chief Data Officer of Times Higher Education, Duncan Ross lauded Nigerian universities on progress made in the last two years on global and regional league tables.
According to Ross, of the 121 universities that contributed data, Nigerian universities make up the “largest proportion (42%) followed by South Africa (12%) and Ghana (7%) Professor Okebukola explained this as the impact of the revolution towards improving quality of delivery of university education in Nigeria, initiated by NUC Executive Secretary, Prof. Abubakar Adamu Rasheed, and supported by the immediate-past Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu”.
