From Fred Ezeh, Abuja
51 Nigerian Universities led by Covenant University, Ota, have made impressive outing in the first edition of Times Higher Education 2023 Sub-Saharan Africa rankings.
At the unveiling event in Accra, Ghana, on Monday, Times Higher Education announced the results of its 2023 Sub-Saharan university rankings in which Nigerian universities led by Covenant University, had an impressive outing.
The event was attended by a delegation from Nigeria led by Prof. Peter Okebukola, who is the Chairman, Nigerian Universities Ranking Advisory Committee (NURAC).
Other members of the delegation are Dr. Noel Biodun Saliu, Deputy Executive Secretary (Academics) NUC and Professor Olanrewaju Fagbohun (member of NURAC representing southwest zone). Vice-Chancellors of Covenant University, Landmark University and Skyline University, also attended.
Prof. Peter Okebukola who led the delegation, in a statement, on Tuesday, explained that Covenant University emerged in the 7th best in Sub-Saharan Africa and first in Nigeria.
“Other universities that appeared on the list and their ranks are Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (26th); Benson Idahosa University (30th), Nnamdi Azikiwe University (31st ), Redeemer’s University (35), University of Ibadan (36), CRUTECH (37th) , OAU, Ife (39th) Umaru Musa Yar’Adua University (43rd), Adeleke University (45th), and Ahmadu Bello University (46th), University of Benin (47th), Landmark University(49th), and Babcock University (50th).
Prof. Okebukola, a former Executive Secretary of National Universities Commission (NUC), further explained that the methodology of the sub-Saharan African rankings is on five pillars, namely, resources and finance (20%); access and fairness (20%); teaching skills (20%); student engagement (20%) and Africa impact (20%)”.
He noted that, in all measures, Nigerian universities did impressively well, with much room for improvement, with a firm promise that in subsequent editions, Nigerian universities would leap to the lead.
He said: “We would continue to improve on the metrics through better quality teaching especially with the incoming Core Curriculum and Minimum Academic Standards (CCMAS), research and provision of better services for our students.”
Okebukola further informed the press that during the unveiling ceremony and the Sub-Saharan University Forum which preceded it on “Revolutionising African Higher Education”, Duncan Ross, Chief Data Officer of Times Higher Education, lauded Nigerian universities on progress made in the last two years on global and regional league tables.
He said that Ross had noted that, of the 121 universities that contributed data, Nigerian universities made up the largest proportion (42%), followed by South Africa (12%), and Ghana (7%).