Covenant, 50 others make top African varsities’ ranking

No fewer than 51 Nigerian tertiary institutions, led by Covenant University, Ota, Ogun State, have appeared in maiden Times Higher Education 2023 Sub-Saharan Africa ranking.

Chairman of Nigerian Universities Ranking Advisory Committee (NURAC) and erstwhile Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission (NUC), Prof. Peter Okebukola, led a delegation to the event, which held on June 26 in Accra, Ghana.

Other members of the team are: Dr. Noel Biodun Saliu, Deputy Executive Secretary (Academics) NUC and Prof. Olanrewaju Fagbohun (member of NURAC, representing Southwest Zone). Vice Chancellors of Covenant University, Landmark University and Skyline University were also handy.

The obviously excited Okebukola, on return to Abuja, said Covenant University clinched the seventh spot in the region and first position in Nigeria.

He continued: “Other universities that appeared on the elite list and their rankings are: Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (26th); Benson Idahosa University, Benin City (30th); Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka (31st); Redeemer’s University, Ede (35th), University of Ibadan (36th); Cross River State University of Technology (CRUTECH) (37th); Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife (39th); Umaru Musa Yar’Adua University (43rd); Adeleke University (45th) and Ahmadu Bello University (46th ).

“Others are: University of Benin (47th); Landmark University (49th); Babcock University (50th); Ajayi Crowther University (51-60th); Bells University of Technology (51-60th); Federal University Kashere (51-60th); Federal University Lokoja (51-60th); Gombe State University (51-60th); Lagos State University (51-60th); University of Port Harcourt (51-60th); Baze University (51-60th); Delta State University (61-70th); Elizade University (61-70th) and Niger Delta University (61-70th).

The rest, the leader of delegation added include: Abia State University (71+); Alex Ekwueme Federal University, Ndufu-Alike (71+); Bamidele Olumilua University of Education, Ikere (71+); Bauch State University (71+); Bayero University (71+); Edo State University (71+); Ladoke Akintola University of Technology
(LAUTECH) (71+); Lead City University (71+); National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) (71+); Glorious Vision University (formerly Samuel Adegboyega University) (71+); Veritas University (71+) and Yusuf Maitama Sule University, Kano (71+).

According to the NUC ex-helmsman, the schools were assessed based 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, observed: “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 (CCMAS), research and provision of better services for our students.”

He informed the press that during the unveiling and preceding Sub-Saharan University Forum, themed ‘Revolutionising African Higher Education’, the 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.

Ross, according to the team leader, said of the 121 universities that contributed data, Nigerian ivory towers made up the “largest proportion (42 per cent), followed by South Africa (12 per cent) and Ghana (seven per cent).