- Afe Babalola University tops Nigeria’s contingent, while Covenant, Redeemer’s and Landmark universities also earn global recognition
Nigeria has reinforced its position as a rising force in global higher education after 20 of its universities secured places in the Times Higher Education (THE) Sustainability Impact Ratings 2026, making it the most represented country in Sub-Saharan Africa.
The latest rankings, unveiled at the Global Sustainable Development Congress in Jakarta, Indonesia, assess how universities worldwide contribute to achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through research, teaching, community engagement, governance and environmental stewardship.
Leading Nigeria’s impressive showing is Afe Babalola University (ABUAD), which ranked joint 72nd globally, emerging as the second-highest ranked institution in Sub-Saharan Africa behind South Africa’s University of Johannesburg.
Other Nigerian universities posting strong performances include Covenant University and Redeemer’s University, both placed in the 201–300 global band, while Landmark University was ranked in the 301–400 category. Several other Nigerian institutions also featured across different ranking bands, underscoring the country’s expanding commitment to sustainability-driven education and research.
The report further highlighted Nigeria and South Africa as the only countries in Sub-Saharan Africa to feature among the world’s leading performers across individual Sustainable Development Goal categories, reflecting the growing contribution of African universities to addressing global development challenges.
According to Times Higher Education, 84 universities from 20 Sub-Saharan African countries participated in this year’s assessment, with Nigeria accounting for nearly one-quarter of all participating institutions. The report also noted the debut participation of Mali and Niger, signalling broader continental interest in benchmarking university performance against global sustainability standards.
Globally, the University of Manchester in the United Kingdom retained its position as the world’s leading university for sustainability impact, followed by Griffith University and Western Sydney University in Australia. Asian universities continued to dominate participation, accounting for more than half of all ranked institutions, with Malaysia, South Korea, Japan and Canada also featuring prominently among the global top performers.
The 2026 edition of the Sustainability Impact Ratings assessed 1,646 universities across 116 countries and territories, making it the world’s most comprehensive evaluation of universities’ contributions to the 17 Sustainable Development Goals. Institutions are measured on their impact in areas including quality education, innovation, climate action, gender equality, good health, partnerships and responsible resource management.
Nigeria’s strong representation in this year’s rankings reflects the increasing emphasis by its universities on research that addresses national and global challenges, community engagement and responsible institutional governance. It also signals the growing capacity of Nigerian higher education institutions to compete internationally while contributing practical solutions to sustainable development.
Education experts say the recognition strengthens Nigeria’s profile as a regional hub for knowledge, innovation and skills development, while enhancing the global visibility of its universities and their contribution to Africa’s socio-economic transformation.
