By Joseph Erunke

Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti (ABUAD), has emerged as Nigeria’s highest-ranked university in the 2026 Times Higher Education (THE) Sustainability Impact Rankings, becoming the only Nigerian institution to secure a place among the world’s top 100 universities for sustainable development.

The ranking, released on Wednesday by Times Higher Education, placed ABUAD 72nd globally out of 1,646 universities from 116 countries and territories, reflecting the institution’s growing international reputation for excellence, innovation and commitment to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

With an overall score of 90.8, the university recorded strong performances in key areas such as Climate Action, No Poverty, and Affordable and Clean Energy, reinforcing its standing as a leader in sustainability-focused education and research.

The achievement also made the Ekiti State-based private university the second-highest ranked institution in Africa, behind the University of Johannesburg, South Africa, which placed 39th globally.

The latest rankings further underscore ABUAD’s prominence within Nigeria’s higher education sector, with other Nigerian institutions ranking significantly lower.

Covenant University and Redeemer’s University were placed within the 201–300 global band, while Landmark University ranked in the 301–400 category.

The University of Lagos was placed within the 601–800 band, while the American University of Nigeria and Lagos State University ranked between 801 and 1000 globally.

Other Nigerian universities featured in the rankings include Babcock University, Federal University Oye-Ekiti, Maryam Abacha American University of Nigeria, Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike, Nile University of Nigeria, Obafemi Awolowo University, Pan-Atlantic University and the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, all of which were ranked within the 1001–1500 category.

Universities placed in the 1501+ band include Al-Hikmah University, Bells University of Technology, Caleb University, Evangel University, Akaeze, and Godfrey Okoye University.

Globally, the University of Manchester in the United Kingdom retained its position as the world’s leading university in sustainability impact, while Griffith University of Australia ranked second.

According to Times Higher Education, the Sustainability Impact Rankings assess universities’ contributions to achieving the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, including poverty eradication, quality education, gender equality, climate action, clean energy, sustainable cities, responsible consumption and global partnerships.

The assessment measures institutional performance across a range of indicators, including research excellence, environmental stewardship, community engagement, governance practices and teaching activities that support sustainable development.

THE explained that institutions qualify for the overall rankings by submitting data for SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals) and at least three other SDGs.

The 2026 edition also marked the debut participation of universities from Mali, Nicaragua, Niger and Tajikistan, while the Philippines recorded the highest representation globally with 160 participating institutions.

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