By Ime Silas
The Forum of South-East Academic Doctors, FOSAD, has congratulated the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, UNN, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, UNIZIK, Federal University of Technology, Owerri, FUTO, and Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike, MOUAU, for making the list of 29 Nigerian universities ranked in the 2027 Times Higher Education, THE, World University Rankings.
In a press statement signed by its President, Dr. Stephen Nwala, and Secretary-General, Dr. Uzor Ngoladi, the Forum said the inclusion of the four South-East universities in the prestigious global ranking is an important achievement for the region.
FOSAD noted that the recognition demonstrates the capacity of institutions in the South-East 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 particularly celebrated 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.
The Forum said it considers the performance of the 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 South-East.
FOSAD 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 Forum however said the ranking should not be viewed merely as an occasion for celebration, but should serve as a catalyst for a broader conversation about the future of higher education in the South-East.
It called on other universities in the five South-East states to urgently reposition themselves and develop deliberate strategies aimed at improving their performance in internationally recognized university rankings.
FOSAD encouraged 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.
The Forum also urged universities to invest more substantially in modern laboratories, libraries, digital infrastructure, research facilities and other learning resources required to create globally competitive academic environments.
FOSAD further urged university administrators to pay greater attention to innovation and industry collaboration, stressing that the ability of universities to translate research findings into practical solutions, technologies, enterprises and policies should become an important component of institutional development.
The Forum also recognized 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 statement added.
While congratulating the institutions, FOSAD challenged them to build on their current performance by pursuing continuous improvement in the years ahead.
