The University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan, has emerged as Nigeria’s leading health institution in the 2026 SCImago Institutions Rankings, placing 7,051st globally and in the first quartile of the international health-sector table.

The Spanish-based SCImago ranking assessed institutions across 20 indicators covering research performance, innovation output and societal impact, weighted at 50 per cent, 30 per cent and 20 per cent respectively.

UCH ranked 1,300 places ahead of the Nigerian Institute of Medical Research (NIMR), Lagos, which placed 8,383rd globally. Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital and Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospitals Complex followed at 9,053rd, 9,860th, 9,883rd and 10,668th respectively.

The research component considers publication output, citation impact, top-quartile journal publications, international collaboration and open-access share, while innovation covers patents and technological impact. Societal impact includes web visibility, media mentions, contributions to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and influence on public policy.

Reacting to the ranking, UCH Chief Medical Director, Prof. Jesse Otegbayo, described the achievement as a collective effort by the hospital’s staff, who he said had kept services running despite difficult working conditions.

Otegbayo said the recognition would motivate staff, while calling for improved funding, stable electricity, better infrastructure and improved remuneration to sustain the hospital’s performance.

The 2026 ranking listed six Nigerian institutions, with state hospitals, federal medical centres and private healthcare providers absent from the assessment.