FG to conduct 2026 tertiary institution ranking before December

Under the proposed arrangement, universities, polytechnics and colleges of education will be assessed within a broader national framework.

The government is expected to support the exercise through funding from the Tertiary Education Trust Fund, while guidelines will also be developed to formally establish the ranking as a regular feature of Nigeria’s tertiary education system.

Alausa had earlier stated that the ranking exercise for universities for the 2026/2027 cycle would begin in September. The expanded advisory committee is expected to determine the appropriate timetable for polytechnics and colleges of education.

The Minister of State for Education, Prof. Suwaiba Ahmad, also described the initiative as an important measure for improving quality and accountability in the tertiary education sector.

She said institutions would be encouraged to regularly examine their performance, identify shortcomings and work towards improving the quality of education and services they provide.

Ahmad also maintained that both public and private institutions should be covered by the exercise to promote minimum standards and continuous improvement across the sector.

Okebukola said the committee’s engagement with the Minister of Education followed an earlier memorandum in which members congratulated the Federal Government on the increasing recognition of Nigerian universities in international rankings.

The committee had also called for greater investment in tertiary education to help Nigerian institutions improve their research capacity, infrastructure and overall competitiveness.

However, the minister’s response resulted in a broader proposal that would extend the national ranking framework beyond universities.

With the 2026 edition now expected to be completed before December, the expanded committee will be required to develop suitable indicators for measuring the performance of institutions with different academic and professional mandates.

The outcome of the exercise is expected to provide the Federal Government and tertiary institutions with clearer information on institutional performance and areas requiring improvement.

The new approach represents a significant change in the assessment of Nigeria’s tertiary education system, as universities, polytechnics and colleges of education will now be brought under a coordinated national performance evaluation framework.