In a significant achievement for the Humanities in Nigeria, Dr Unwana Akpan, has been recognised among the country’s top academic authors.

Akpan, a distinguished multidisciplinary media scholar and lecturer at the University of Lagos (UNILAG), was ranked 484 among the ‘Top 500 authors by ‘Scholarly Output’ across all academic discipline in Nigeria between 2022 and 2026 by Scopus Elsevier SciVal, the world’s foremost academic ranking body.

This accomplishment is particularly notable as it spotlights excellence within the humanities, a field seldom featured prominently in such global rankings, which traditionally favour scholars in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Medicine (STEM).

For many academics, being listed by Scopus is considered a monumental, career-defining milestone, often likened to the prestige of a Nobel Prize in the scholarly world.

Akpan brings over two decades of practical experience from the broadcast industry, including extensive work with the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN), seamlessly blending media theory with real-world practice.

His ranking underscores not only his personal scholarly dedication, but also the growing impact and recognition of Communication and Media Studies research from Nigeria on the global stage.

Scopus Elsevier SciVal employs a rigorous, metrics-driven methodology to compile its rankings, evaluating scholars based on: the impact factor and reputation of the academic journals where they published; frequency and consistency of their research output, and number of citations their work garners from peers worldwide.

Achieving a high rank requires publishing consistently in top-tier, high-impact journals, a challenging benchmark in any discipline.

Akpan’s inclusion signals a breakthrough, proving that rigorous, high-quality scholarship in the humanities can achieve global visibility and compete at the highest levels of academic impact.

“Seeing a communication scholar ranked among Nigeria’s top 500 authors across all disciplines is exceptional and inspiring,” a senior academic stated.

The recognition is expected to resonate across Nigeria’s academic community, encouraging scholars in the humanities and social sciences to pursue high-impact research and international publication.

Akpan’s achievement serves as a powerful testament to the quality of research emerging from Nigerian universities and sets a new benchmark for scholarly excellence in non-STEM fields.