ENUGU, Nigeria (VOICE OF NAIJA)- The Federal Government has expanded Nigeria’s national tertiary institutions ranking framework to cover universities, polytechnics and colleges of education, with participation now made compulsory for all institutions.
The Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, disclosed this on Tuesday in Abuja during a meeting with the Nigerian Universities Ranking Advisory Committee.
A statement by the minister’s Special Adviser on Media and Communications, Ikharo Attah, said the expanded framework was part of the administration’s education reforms under President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda and the Nigeria Education Sector Renewal Initiative.
READ ALSO Tertiary Institutions Governing Councils Inauguration Postponed
Alausa said the ranking exercise was designed to improve quality, accountability and institutional performance while helping Nigerian tertiary institutions become more competitive internationally.
According to him, the exercise would give institutions measurable benchmarks for evaluating their performance, identifying weaknesses and tracking improvements.
“The ranking will provide institutions with clear benchmarks for assessing their performance, identifying areas requiring improvement and measuring progress, while promoting healthy competition and continuous institutional advancement,” he said.
The minister said the 2026/2027 ranking exercise for universities would begin in September, while the committee would determine when polytechnics and colleges of education would be incorporated into the exercise.
He disclosed that the Federal Government would fund the exercise through the Tertiary Education Trust Fund.
READ ALSO Tetfund Remains Lifeline For Nigerian Tertiary Institutions
Alausa added that TETFund would develop guidelines for institutionalising the ranking system and formally notify heads of tertiary institutions that participation was mandatory.
He also assured the committee that the ministry would provide the necessary policy direction, funding and capacity-building support to ensure the sustainability and credibility of the exercise.
“The ministry will work with the committee to facilitate in-service training and institutional capacity-building programmes across tertiary institutions, with the expectation that significantly more Nigerian institutions will achieve greater global recognition in subsequent international ranking exercises,” he said.
The Minister of State for Education, Prof Suwaiba Ahmad, described the expansion as a major step towards improving accountability and quality across the sector.
Ahmad said competition among institutions would encourage them to identify shortcomings, strengthen their systems and improve the quality of education they offer.
READ ALSO FG Reverses Age Entry Policy For Tertiary Institutions
She stressed that both public and private institutions should be covered by the ranking framework to help establish and maintain minimum standards across the sector.
“Ranking should cover both public and private institutions, as this will provide a mechanism for establishing and maintaining minimum standards across the sector,” she said.
Also speaking, the Chairman of the Nigerian Universities Ranking Advisory Committee, Emeritus Prof Peter Okebukola, welcomed the expansion, saying it would strengthen the country’s drive for global recognition.
Okebukola, a former Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission, said the committee’s mandate had now been extended beyond universities to polytechnics and colleges of education.
He said the expansion had consequently transformed the body into the Nigerian Tertiary Education Ranking Advisory Committee.