Nigeria University Research Rankings
Compare Nigeria universities using recent research output, citation impact, growth and a transparent research-performance score.
Research landscape
The current ITS Research Intelligence dataset contains 153 index-ready universities in Nigeria. Across those institutions, the average five-year research output is approximately 3,219 works and the average five-year citation count is approximately 8,543. The average publication-growth signal is 74.6%. These figures describe the institutions that pass the public quality gate; they are not intended to represent every tertiary institution in the country.
Country rankings are useful for benchmarking because they reduce some of the structural differences that make global comparisons difficult. They still should not be treated as a complete assessment of institutional quality: teaching, student outcomes, funding levels, research field mix and institutional mission are outside this research-performance score. The value of the page is in seeing who is producing research, how that activity is changing, and where citation visibility is concentrated.
Top research universities in Nigeria
| Rank | University | Country | Score | 5-year works | 5-year citations | Growth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | University of Ibadan | Nigeria | 79.5 | 19,934 | 80,203 | 8.3% |
| #2 | University of Nigeria | Nigeria | 76.9 | 17,897 | 68,998 | 2.4% |
| #3 | University of Lagos | Nigeria | 74.9 | 12,618 | 46,458 | 9.3% |
| #4 | Ahmadu Bello University | Nigeria | 74.5 | 10,796 | 43,611 | 13.7% |
| #5 | University of Ilorin | Nigeria | 74.1 | 10,749 | 48,534 | 11.9% |
| #6 | Obafemi Awolowo University | Nigeria | 73.8 | 10,157 | 35,641 | 9.0% |
| #7 | Nnamdi Azikiwe University | Nigeria | 73.4 | 12,597 | 35,989 | 19.5% |
| #8 | Ladoke Akintola University of Technology | Nigeria | 73.2 | 7,086 | 28,205 | 72.4% |
| #9 | Federal University of Technology | Nigeria | 73.0 | 9,837 | 33,324 | 15.0% |
| #10 | University of Abuja | Nigeria | 72.0 | 6,851 | 15,260 | 126.6% |
| #11 | University of Port Harcourt | Nigeria | 71.9 | 11,865 | 20,978 | 26.6% |
| #12 | University of Calabar | Nigeria | 71.8 | 8,453 | 27,293 | 21.9% |
| #13 | Bayero University Kano | Nigeria | 71.8 | 7,614 | 32,298 | 17.6% |
| #14 | Delta State University | Nigeria | 71.6 | 8,182 | 20,448 | 82.9% |
| #15 | Federal College of Education, Kano | Nigeria | 71.6 | 8,059 | 6,435 | 197.6% |
| #16 | University of Uyo | Nigeria | 71.2 | 7,479 | 13,266 | 73.1% |
| #17 | The Federal Polytechnic, Ado-Ekiti | Nigeria | 71.1 | 10,373 | 17,947 | 68.0% |
| #18 | Rivers State University | Nigeria | 71.0 | 12,158 | 13,843 | 71.1% |
| #19 | University of Benin | Nigeria | 70.9 | 7,529 | 23,024 | 9.8% |
| #20 | Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University | Nigeria | 70.9 | 5,236 | 14,003 | 140.2% |
| #21 | Lagos State University | Nigeria | 70.1 | 6,786 | 15,013 | 50.1% |
| #22 | Federal University of Technology Owerri | Nigeria | 70.0 | 6,251 | 19,235 | 44.8% |
| #23 | Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta | Nigeria | 69.3 | 6,113 | 19,133 | -2.1% |
| #24 | University of Maiduguri | Nigeria | 68.5 | 4,507 | 16,452 | 28.0% |
| #25 | Federal University of Technology Minna | Nigeria | 68.5 | 4,152 | 18,463 | 28.0% |
| #26 | Akwa Ibom State University | Nigeria | 68.1 | 5,180 | 9,547 | 117.7% |
| #27 | Nasarawa State University | Nigeria | 68.1 | 4,371 | 4,391 | 193.1% |
| #28 | Delta State Polytechnic Ogwashi-Uku | Nigeria | 68.1 | 2,920 | 7,603 | 166.0% |
| #29 | Osun State University | Nigeria | 68.0 | 5,564 | 15,723 | 46.4% |
| #30 | Kwara State University | Nigeria | 68.0 | 4,581 | 13,279 | 83.2% |
| #31 | Covenant University | Nigeria | 68.0 | 4,515 | 21,679 | -32.4% |
| #32 | Lead City University | Nigeria | 67.9 | 4,192 | 10,193 | 116.8% |
| #33 | Enugu State University of Science and Technology | Nigeria | 67.4 | 6,117 | 10,174 | 69.6% |
| #34 | Usmanu Danfodiyo University | Nigeria | 67.4 | 5,083 | 11,982 | 35.7% |
| #35 | Ekiti State University | Nigeria | 67.2 | 7,012 | 11,847 | 6.8% |
| #36 | Ebonyi State University | Nigeria | 67.2 | 4,295 | 15,685 | 21.6% |
| #37 | Afe Babalola University | Nigeria | 67.0 | 5,628 | 19,687 | 6.0% |
| #38 | Imo State University | Nigeria | 67.0 | 4,070 | 6,598 | 109.4% |
| #39 | University of Jos | Nigeria | 66.9 | 4,550 | 11,244 | 24.5% |
| #40 | Abia State University | Nigeria | 66.5 | 3,883 | 7,359 | 96.0% |
| #41 | Redeemer's University | Nigeria | 66.0 | 2,147 | 9,678 | 40.8% |
| #42 | Olabisi Onabanjo University | Nigeria | 65.7 | 3,974 | 10,717 | 17.1% |
| #43 | National Open University of Nigeria | Nigeria | 65.7 | 3,384 | 9,092 | 118.9% |
| #44 | Federal University Oye Ekiti | Nigeria | 65.5 | 4,454 | 13,167 | 30.7% |
| #45 | Michael Okpara University of Agriculture | Nigeria | 65.5 | 4,470 | 13,867 | 5.3% |
| #46 | Niger Delta University | Nigeria | 65.3 | 3,081 | 8,000 | 63.6% |
| #47 | Babcock University | Nigeria | 65.2 | 4,478 | 10,918 | 15.7% |
| #48 | Joseph Sarwuan Tarka University Makurdi | Nigeria | 65.1 | 2,754 | 7,175 | 68.1% |
| #49 | Olusegun Agagu University of Science and Technology | Nigeria | 65.0 | 3,154 | 13,192 | 36.5% |
| #50 | Federal University Lafia | Nigeria | 65.0 | 2,992 | 9,535 | 76.9% |
| #51 | Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University | Nigeria | 64.9 | 3,546 | 10,413 | 21.3% |
| #52 | Edo State University Uzairue | Nigeria | 64.9 | 29,110 | 6,550 | -87.6% |
| #53 | Adekunle Ajasin University | Nigeria | 64.7 | 4,591 | 11,035 | -4.3% |
| #54 | Bowen University | Nigeria | 64.7 | 2,961 | 14,083 | 32.7% |
| #55 | Nigerian Defence Academy | Nigeria | 64.5 | 3,481 | 4,940 | 119.1% |
| #56 | Benue State University | Nigeria | 64.4 | 3,367 | 7,175 | 59.1% |
| #57 | Federal University Otuoke | Nigeria | 64.4 | 3,064 | 5,285 | 136.3% |
| #58 | Modibbo Adama University of Technology | Nigeria | 64.0 | 3,337 | 6,142 | 63.5% |
| #59 | Landmark University | Nigeria | 63.9 | 2,660 | 18,008 | -43.6% |
| #60 | Kogi State University | Nigeria | 63.6 | 3,260 | 5,676 | 80.8% |
| #61 | Kaduna State University | Nigeria | 63.6 | 3,275 | 8,289 | 43.3% |
| #62 | Federal University Lokoja | Nigeria | 63.0 | 2,386 | 3,977 | 148.0% |
| #63 | Ambrose Alli University | Nigeria | 62.9 | 3,120 | 9,247 | 12.7% |
| #64 | Taraba State University | Nigeria | 62.8 | 2,306 | 4,428 | 127.3% |
| #65 | University of Cross River State | Nigeria | 62.6 | 3,280 | 6,316 | 27.1% |
| #66 | Gombe State University | Nigeria | 62.2 | 2,431 | 6,845 | 46.2% |
| #67 | Nile University of Nigeria | Nigeria | 62.1 | 2,472 | 7,891 | 40.8% |
| #68 | Al-Hikmah University | Nigeria | 62.0 | 1,711 | 2,207 | 170.5% |
| #69 | Federal University of Petroleum Resource Effurun | Nigeria | 61.5 | 1,843 | 5,916 | 50.2% |
| #70 | Abiola Ajimobi Technical University Ibadan | Nigeria | 60.8 | 1,691 | 7,889 | 20.3% |
| #71 | Sa'adu Zungur University | Nigeria | 60.5 | 1,775 | 2,474 | 89.6% |
| #72 | Kwararafa University | Nigeria | 60.4 | 2,357 | 2,947 | 97.0% |
| #73 | Bells University of Technology | Nigeria | 60.2 | 1,761 | 3,670 | 65.3% |
| #74 | Sokoto State University | Nigeria | 60.2 | 1,786 | 4,053 | 72.5% |
| #75 | Renaissance University | Nigeria | 60.1 | 900 | 2,157 | 242.9% |
| #76 | Pan-Atlantic University | Nigeria | 59.8 | 2,055 | 7,156 | -22.3% |
| #77 | Tai Solarin University of Education | Nigeria | 59.6 | 1,170 | 3,881 | 99.1% |
| #78 | Crescent University | Nigeria | 59.6 | 1,108 | 1,594 | 106.9% |
| #79 | Western Delta University | Nigeria | 59.2 | 1,004 | 1,546 | 260.2% |
| #80 | Federal University Birnin Kebbi | Nigeria | 59.0 | 1,759 | 3,066 | 68.6% |
| #81 | Ajayi Crowther University | Nigeria | 58.8 | 1,408 | 2,469 | 114.5% |
| #82 | Yobe State University | Nigeria | 58.6 | 1,396 | 3,574 | 75.5% |
| #83 | Plateau State University | Nigeria | 58.6 | 1,256 | 714 | 241.5% |
| #84 | Caleb University | Nigeria | 58.4 | 1,221 | 1,272 | 201.9% |
| #85 | Baze University | Nigeria | 58.4 | 1,383 | 4,146 | 53.3% |
| #86 | Kwara State Polytechnic | Nigeria | 58.3 | 2,411 | 2,976 | 41.5% |
| #87 | Fountain University | Nigeria | 58.2 | 597 | 1,052 | 178.3% |
| #88 | Crawford University | Nigeria | 57.9 | 546 | 592 | 189.1% |
| #89 | Adeleke University | Nigeria | 57.6 | 1,418 | 4,942 | 33.2% |
| #90 | Umaru Musa Yar'adua University | Nigeria | 57.6 | 1,314 | 2,391 | 77.9% |
| #91 | Veritas University | Nigeria | 57.5 | 1,171 | 2,217 | 125.8% |
| #92 | Bingham University | Nigeria | 57.5 | 1,601 | 3,120 | 36.6% |
| #93 | Igbinedion University | Nigeria | 57.2 | 1,202 | 3,570 | 52.1% |
| #94 | Achievers University | Nigeria | 57.2 | 1,047 | 2,311 | 114.9% |
| #95 | Yaba College of Technology | Nigeria | 57.1 | 1,167 | 1,791 | 77.8% |
| #96 | African Institute of Science and Technology | Nigeria | 56.9 | 704 | 3,634 | 26.4% |
| #97 | Adamawa State University | Nigeria | 56.8 | 1,117 | 1,034 | 135.3% |
| #98 | Federal University Kashere | Nigeria | 56.7 | 1,426 | 3,551 | 21.9% |
| #99 | Kaduna Polytechnic | Nigeria | 56.7 | 1,490 | 2,341 | 41.4% |
| #100 | Benson Idahosa University | Nigeria | 56.6 | 814 | 2,691 | 95.1% |
How ITS Research Score v2 is constructed
Every index-ready institution has a base score from recent output, citations, h-index, i10-index and publication growth. After deep enrichment completes, ITS Research Score v2 uses six dimensions: 25% output strength, 30% Research Impact Score, 20% Momentum Score, 10% international-collaboration share, 5% open-access share and 10% topic-diversity signal. Output and citation-scale terms are log-normalized to reduce domination by the largest universities.
Research Impact Score combines citation intensity, h-index, two-year mean citedness when available and i10 visibility. It is intentionally not called field-normalized impact. International collaboration is based on recent works with authors from more than one country. Research diversity is an entropy-based summary of the institution’s leading topic signals, not a department count.
These indicators assess research activity only. They do not measure teaching quality, student experience, employability, reputation, finances or accreditation. Missing data are left missing rather than fabricated.