Nigeria to develop homegrown ranking system for tertiary institutions

The Nigerian government has unveiled plans to establish a local ranking system for tertiary institutions, with the aim of creating a benchmark for higher education across Africa. Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, revealed this in a statement on his X account. This development follows the release of the Times Higher Education (THE) 2026 Rankings, which included 24 Nigerian universities.

During a meeting with the Nigerian University Ranking Advisory Committee (NURAC) and the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), Alausa discussed measures to strengthen the country's ranking framework and enhance institutional performance. While international rankings hold significance, Alausa emphasized the need for a system tailored to Nigeria's unique educational environment and development priorities.

Consequently, the ranking framework will be expanded to encompass polytechnics and colleges of education, with the newly renamed Nigerian Tertiary Education Ranking Advisory Committee (NTERAC) taking charge. The committee will facilitate the institutionalization of the ranking process by equipping institutions and their leadership teams with knowledge about ranking methodologies, data requirements, and performance standards.

A robust national ranking system would bolster Nigerian institutions' competitiveness on global platforms, Alausa stated, attributing this to enhanced data collection, reporting, and performance measurement. The ranking framework will be incorporated into the Nigeria Education Data Initiative (NEDI) platform, establishing a centralized database that offers stakeholders comprehensive insights into institutional performance.

Alausa commended the ranking committee, headed by Prof. Peter Okebukola, as well as TETFund, for their contributions to the initiative. Beginning from this point, participation in the national ranking exercise will be mandatory for all public and private tertiary institutions. Alausa urged educational leaders to cooperate fully with the process, emphasizing that the initiative aims to elevate academic standards and bolster institutional competitiveness.

The ranking initiative follows substantial government investment in the tertiary education sector, with the Federal Government allocating over N1 trillion in the past two years to improve infrastructure, expand capacity, and increase access to quality education. This announcement comes in the wake of the launch of the "Hire from Nigeria" initiative, which seeks to connect Nigeria's skilled workforce with global employers, aiming to create one million export-linked jobs within five years and position Nigeria as a leading hub for talent and service exports.