ABU Ranked Nigeria’s Third-Best Public University by Times Higher Education

Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria, has emerged as Nigeria’s third-highest-ranked public university in the 2027 Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings.

The university ranked fourth overall among Nigerian universities, placing in the 1,001–1,200 global band, alongside Bayero University, Landmark University and the University of Ilorin.

ABU also ranked fourth in Nigeria and 42nd in Africa in the 2026 UI GreenMetric World University Ranking, recording an overall score of 5,552.5 points. Globally, it was placed 1,032nd among 2,016 participating institutions from 110 countries.

The THE World University Rankings assess universities across 17 performance indicators covering five major areas: teaching, research environment, research quality, industry and international outlook. The 2027 edition features 2,297 universities across 118 countries and territories.

In Nigeria, ABU ranked third in the Teaching category and third in Industry. Its industry ranking considers areas such as industry income and patents, making the university the second-highest-ranked federal university in that category.

According to the ranking, ABU was placed behind Covenant University, the University of Ibadan and the University of Lagos, which were all in the 801–1,000 global band.

The university’s performance in the UI GreenMetric ranking also highlighted its efforts in environmental sustainability and campus development. It scored 1,300 points in Energy and Climate Change, 905 in Water, 800 in Transportation, 700 in Education, 685 in Setting and Infrastructure, 612.5 in Governance and Digitalisation, and 550 in Waste.

ABU’s latest rankings reflect different aspects of university performance. While THE focuses broadly on teaching, research, industry engagement and international outlook, UI GreenMetric concentrates on sustainability, environmental management, infrastructure, transportation, waste, water, energy and climate action.

Earlier in 2026, ABU was ranked third in Nigeria in the QS World University Rankings 2027, fourth in Nigeria by the Centre for World University Rankings, and third in Nigeria by the U.S. News Best Global Universities Ranking.

The latest rankings provide additional benchmarks for ABU as it continues efforts to improve its teaching and learning environment, research, industry partnerships, international collaborations and sustainable campus development.