FG Makes Ranking Compulsory for Nigerian Universities, Polytechnics and Colleges of Education

Nigerian universities, polytechnics and colleges of education will now be required to participate in the Federal Government’s national tertiary institution ranking exercise.

The Federal Government has made participation in the Nigeria tertiary education ranking compulsory for all universities, polytechnics and colleges of education.

The Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, announced the new policy on Tuesday in Abuja during a meeting with the Nigerian Universities Ranking Advisory Committee (NURAC).

The committee has now been expanded and renamed the Nigerian Tertiary Education Ranking Advisory Committee.

What does this mean for students?

The new ranking system is expected to assess tertiary institutions based on their performance and help identify areas where they need to improve.

According to the Federal Government, the goal is to improve quality, accountability, institutional performance and global competitiveness in Nigeria's tertiary education sector.

The ranking will also give universities, polytechnics and colleges of education benchmarks they can use to measure their performance and compete with other institutions.

When will the ranking start?

The 2026/2027 ranking exercise for Nigerian universities is expected to begin in September.

The committee will later determine when polytechnics and colleges of education will be included in the exercise.

The government is also expected to fund the ranking exercise through the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund).

Why does this matter?

For students, the ranking could become another factor to consider when choosing a university, polytechnic or college of education.

A stronger ranking could also encourage institutions to improve areas such as:

• Teaching and learning

• Research and innovation

• Infrastructure

• Academic staff

• Institutional resources

• Student experience

• Global recognition

The Minister of State for Education, Professor Suwaiba Ahmad, said the ranking would encourage healthy competition and help institutions identify their strengths and weaknesses.

The exercise is expected to cover both public and private tertiary institutions.

Nigerian universities face global competition

The policy comes as Nigerian universities continue to seek better positions in international university rankings.

Global rankings often consider factors such as research output, academic reputation, citations, international outlook and institutional resources.

However, Nigerian tertiary institutions still face challenges including inadequate funding, limited research capacity, infrastructure deficits and staffing shortages.

The Federal Government believes the new national ranking framework can help institutions identify their weaknesses and improve their competitiveness.

What do you think? 👇

If you were choosing a Nigerian university, polytechnic or college of education, would its ranking influence your decision?

And do you think compulsory ranking will actually improve the quality of education in Nigeria?

Drop your opinion in the comments. 👇