Top 10 Best Federal Universities To Attend In Nigeria (2024)
Are you interested in knowing the 10 best Federal Universities in Nigeria to attend? Then read on, this article will list them out.
You need to know that the Nigerian University Commission (NUC) does not rank universities. It had said that countless time. Where then does all those ranking universities get their rankings from? What are the yardstick used and how accurate are the ranking based on the metrics used?
These and many more makes me takes most rankings with a pinch of salt. There’s however a source I find credible as they state their sources and make it clear, making you know that a school ranks higher does not mean it’s better academically.
The source is the unirank website (https://www.4icu.org/ng/). According to unirank, their aim is to provide a non-academic League Table of the top Nigerian Universities based on valid, unbiased and non-influenceable web metrics provided by independent web intelligence sources rather than data submitted by the universities themselves.
Below is the list of the top 10 federal universities to attend in Nigeria this 2024 offering quality education to its students.
University Of Lagos (UNILAG)
The University of Lagos according to the ranking is the best federal university in Nigeria to attend, ahead of any public or private university in the country.
Even without Unirank stating it, UNILAG is arguably one of the best Nigerian schools and the first choice of a lot of people. This had led to the school having the tag line “The University of First Choice and The Nation’s Pride”.
The university was established in 1962 and since then, had grown to be a pacesetter in Nigeria. The university currently have over 50 thousands students.
The university has numerous Faculties such as Arts, Social Sciences, Business Administration, Law, Sciences, Environmental Sciences, Engineering/Technology, School of Clinical Sciences, School of Basic Medical Sciences, School of Dental Sciences, Pharmacy and Education.
Notable alumni of the school includes Wole Soyinka, Ayodele Awojobi, Laurence Gower, Grace Alele-Williams, David Aradeon, Akin Euba, Cornelius Taiwo, Chike Obi, Taslim Olawale Elias, J. P. Clark, Olufemi Majekodunmi, Marita Golden, Oyeleye Oyediran, Lazarus Ekwueme, Ken Saro Wiwa, Solomon Babalola and Akinsola Olusegun Faluyi
University Of Ilorin (UNILORIN)
The University of Ilorin is a federal government owned university located in Ilorin, Kwara State, western Nigeria.
It was one of the seven institutions of higher learning established by a decree of the Federal Military Government in 1975 to implement the educational directives of the country’s Third National Development Plan, which was aimed at providing more opportunities for Nigerians aspiring to acquire university education.
Notable alumni of this university includes Femi Adebayo, Sarah Alade, Ezekiel Adebiyi, Abdul Rasheed Na’Allah, Johnson Bamidele Olawumi and Nkem Owoh.
Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) Zaria
Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) is a federal government research university in Zaria , Kaduna State. ABU was founded on 4 March 1962, as the University of Northern Nigeria.
As it stands today, ABU Zaria is not just the best university in Northern Nigeria to attend, it’s one of the best in Nigeria.
The university runs a wide variety of undergraduate and graduate programmes (and offers associate degrees and vocational and remedial programmes).
It has a large medical programme with its own ABU Teaching Hospital, one of the largest teaching hospitals in Nigeria and Africa. Most of the leaders of Northern Nigeria attended this university.
Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU)
Formerly known as the University of Ife, Obafemi Awolowo University was established in 1962. The university is one of the largest in the country in terms of land mass. It covers a land expanse of 11,862 hectares.
Due to this land area, the university has one central campus along with its students’ residential area, staff quarters as well as a teaching and research farm.
In the 1970s and 1980s, the University was known as one of the foremost universities in Africa. The University has produced a NobelLaureate as well as several National Merit Award winners.
University Of Nigeria Nsukka (UNN)
The University of Nigeria , commonly referred to as UNN, is a federal university located in Nsukka , Enugu State, Nigeria. Founded by Nnamdi Azikiwe in 1955 and formally opened on 7 March 1960, the University of Nigeria has three campuses – Nsukka, Enugu, and Ituku-Ozalla – all located in Enugu State.
The University of Nigeria was the first full-fledged indigenous and first autonomous university in Nigeria, modelled upon the American educational system.
It is the first land-grant university in Africa and one of the five elite universities in Nigeria. The university has 15 Faculties and 102 academic departments.
UNN offers 82 undergraduate programs and 211 postgraduate programmes.
University Of Ibadan (UI)
The University of Ibadan (UI) is the oldest Nigerian university and is located five miles (8 kilometres) from the centre of the major city of Ibadan in Western Nigeria.
It is popularly known as Unibadan or UI. The university is not just the oldest but one of the best federal universities to attend in the country.
The university has 13 faculties namely – College of Medicine, Arts, Science , Agriculture and Forestry , Renewable Natural Resources, Social Sciences, Education, Veterinary Medicine, Pharmacy, Technology, Law, Public Health, and Dentistry.
UI notable alumni includes Chinua Achebe, J. P. Clark, Ken Saro Wiwa, Wole Soyinka, Farida Waziri among others.
Federal University Of Technology, Minna (FUTMINNA)
FUTMINNA specializes in technological education. The University is a designated Centre of Excellence in Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering and has a core competence in the development of vaccines and drugs.
The origin of the Federal University of Technology, Minna can be traced to 1983 when the university was established with the objective of promoting the Nation’s drive for self-reliance in Science, Engineering and Technology.
Federal University Of Technology Akure (FUTA)
The Federal University of Technology Akure was founded in 1981 under a drive by the government of Nigeria to create universities that specialised in producing graduates with practical as well as theoretical knowledge of technologies. It is located in Akure, the capital city of Ondo State.
University Of Benin (UNIBEN)
The University of Benin was founded in 1970. It started as an Institute of Technology and was accorded the status of a full-fledged University by National Universities Commission (NUC) on 1st March 1971.
The University has continued to grow from strength to strength with a number of Faculties, Departments, Institutes, and Units, offering courses at postgraduate, undergraduate, diploma and certificate levels.
University Of Jos (UNIJOS)
The University of Jos, shortened as UNIJOS, is a Federal University in Jos, Plateau State. What became the University of Jos was established in March 1971 as a satellite campus of the University of Ibadan.
The first students were admitted in March 1972 as pre-degree students and the first Bachelor of Arts degree program begun in March 1973.
In March 1975, then military government under General Murtala Mohammed established the Unijos as a separate institution.
Since it official establishment, the school have grown to be one of the best Nigerian universities to attend and the second best in the Northern region of the country.
