Nigeria has taken the lead in higher education across Sub-Saharan Africa, with 24 universities featured in the 2026 Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings. This makes Nigeria the country with the highest number of ranked universities in the region, surpassing South Africa, which has 13 institutions on the list.
The 2026 Times Higher Education Sub-Saharan Africa Insights report, released on Thursday, describes this as a major leap for African higher education. It notes that the region now boasts 55 ranked universities from 14 countries, an impressive rise from just 10 less than a decade ago.
While South Africa continues to maintain strong global performance with four institutions in the world’s top 500, Nigeria’s showing marks a new phase of academic progress. The University of Cape Town remains Africa’s best-ranked university, sitting at 164th globally, its highest position ever. The University of Johannesburg also broke into the global top 400 for the first time, while the University of Pretoria returned to the 501–600 bracket.
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For Nigeria, both the University of Ibadan and the University of Lagos entered the global top 1,000 for the first time, an achievement many describe as a breakthrough for the country’s higher education system, especially amid the long-standing disputes between the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and the Federal Government.
Other African nations also recorded significant progress. Ghana now has four universities on the list, while Botswana, Kenya, and Tanzania each have two. Senegal made its debut with Université Cheikh Anta Diop de Dakar, marking a milestone for Francophone Africa.
The report highlights the steady rise of African universities over the years, from 12 ranked institutions in 2017 to 18 in 2020, 25 in 2022, 43 in 2024, and now a record 55 in 2026.
Phil Baty, Chief Global Affairs Officer at Times Higher Education, described the progress as a sign of Africa’s growing academic strength. “This is not just about numbers. We are seeing real improvements in quality and innovation. Africa’s universities are showing they can compete on a global stage,” he said.
As some top Asian and Western universities face funding cuts and political challenges, experts say this shift offers Africa an opportunity to rise further. Nigeria’s strong presence in the 2026 rankings may signal the beginning of a new era for its university system, one driven by resilience, reform, and renewed global recognition.
