The Forum of South-East Academic Doctors (FOSAD) has warmly congratulated the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), Federal University of Technology, Owerri (FUTO), Nnamdi Azikiwe University (UNIZIK), and Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike (MOUAU), for their inclusion among the 29 Nigerian universities ranked in the 2027 Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings.
FOSAD said the recognition of these four universities represented an important achievement for the Southeast and demonstrated the capacity of institutions in the region to compete within an increasingly demanding global higher education environment.
According to the 2027 Times Higher Education ranking, Nigeria recorded 29 universities in the global ranking, an increase from 24 institutions in the 2026 edition. THE assessed 2,297 universities across 118 countries and territories using 17 performance indicators grouped into five broad areas: teaching, research environment, research quality, international outlook and industry.
FOSAD in a statement jointly signed by its President, Dr. Stephen Nwala and Secretary-General, Dr. Uzor Ngoladi, said it “particularly celebrates the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, which was placed in the 1,201–1,400 global band; Nnamdi Azikiwe University, which was placed in the 1,401–1,600 band; the Federal University of Technology, Owerri, which was placed in the 1,801–2,000 band; and Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike, which was placed in the 2,001+ band.”
FOSAD stated that it considered “the performance of these four institutions significant not only because of their individual achievements but also because universities remain central to the intellectual, technological, scientific and socioeconomic development of the Southeast.”
The Forum, therefore, commended the governing councils, managements, academic and non-academic staff, researchers, students and other stakeholders of the four universities for their contributions to teaching, research, innovation and knowledge production.
“The ranking, however, should not be viewed merely as an occasion for celebration. Rather, FOSAD believes it should serve as a catalyst for a broader conversation about the future of higher education in the Southeast,” it stated.
The Forum called on other universities in the five Southeast states to urgently reposition themselves and develop deliberate strategies aimed at improving their performance in internationally recognised university rankings.
It added, “FOSAD particularly encourages universities in the region to strengthen research capacity, increase high-quality scholarly publications, improve postgraduate education, promote interdisciplinary research, deepen university-industry partnerships and expand international academic collaborations.
“Universities should also invest more substantially in modern laboratories, libraries, digital infrastructure, research facilities and other learning resources required to create globally competitive academic environments.”
The Forum also urged university administrators to pay greater attention to innovation and industry collaboration,” stressing, “The ability of universities to translate research findings into practical solutions, technologies, enterprises and policies should become an important component of institutional development.”
FOSAD also recognised that international rankings are only one measure of university performance and should not be treated as the sole determinant of academic excellence. “Nevertheless, the Times Higher Education ranking provides useful indicators that can encourage institutions to examine their performance in teaching, research, research quality, internationalization and university-industry engagement.”
The Forum, therefore, congratulated UNN, FUTO, UNIZIK and MOUAU once again, challenging them to build on their current performance by pursuing continuous improvement in the years ahead.
