• Ex-VC, scholars warn against funding, research gaps in postgraduate education
The University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN) has been ranked the second-best university in Nigeria in the 2026 edition of the Alper-Doger (AD) Scientific Index, reinforcing its growing reputation as one of the country’s leading academic institutions.

The AD Scientific Index is a global ranking system that evaluates universities and individual scholars based on research productivity and impact. Its methodology relies on metrics such as the H-index, i10-index, and citation counts derived from Google Scholar data.

In the latest rankings, which assessed 317 Nigerian universities out of 19,336 institutions worldwide, UNN was placed second nationally, outperforming 315 other universities in the country.

Globally, the university was ranked 1,197th, while it secured the 30th position in Africa, an indication of its growing academic profile and competitiveness on the continent.

University rankings are conducted yearly by many international bodies, including the QS World University Rankings, Webometrics Ranking of World Universities, Times Higher Education, among others.

These rankings typically assess institutions using various indicators such as research output, citations, teaching quality, and international outlook.

Meanwhile, a former Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Olufemi Bamiro, university administrators, and leading scholars have raised fresh concerns over persistent funding constraints and widening research gaps, warning that the challenges pose a significant threat to the growth, quality, and global competitiveness of postgraduate education in Nigeria.

The stakeholders spoke at the 67th Meeting of the Committee of Provosts and Deans of Postgraduate Colleges and Schools, held at Lead City University, Ibadan. The conference, themed “Strengthening Postgraduate Education in Nigeria: Research, Innovation and Excellence,” brought together key players in higher education to deliberate on the future of advanced learning in the country.

Delivering the keynote address, former Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ibadan, Prof. Olufemi Bamiro, described postgraduate education as the engine of national development, stressing that Nigeria must urgently reposition its universities to move beyond mere degree-awarding institutions to knowledge-producing hubs capable of driving socio-economic transformation.

Bamiro identified inadequate funding, weak research infrastructure, and poor collaboration among government, academia, and the private sector as major obstacles limiting the effectiveness of postgraduate programmes. He noted that without deliberate and sustained investment, Nigerian universities would continue to struggle to compete globally.