The University of
Ibadan, Ibadan, Oyo State,
has been rated the best of
the nine Nigerian
universities mentioned
among the 62 institutions in
Africa recognised for their
research development.
Also, the medical school of
the institution, University
College Hospital, was rated
among the nine best in the
2011 SCimago Institutions
Ranking World Reports.
The ranking was the outcome
of an exercise conducted at
the SCimago Laboratory,
Spain, released on its
website www. scimagoir.com.
South Africa with 20 of its
institutions listed on the best
research ranking led other
African nations, followed by
Nigeria with nine and
Tunisia with eight.
All the nine listed Nigerian
institutions are owned by the
Federal Government as no
state-owned or private
university is among the
institutions ranked by SIR
World Reports.
The other eight institutions
rated in order of
performance are Obafemi
Awolowo University, Ile-Ife,
Osun State; University of
Lagos and University of
Benin.
Others are the University of
Nigeria, Nsukka; Ahmadu
Bello University, Zaria;
University College Hospital,
Ibadan; Federal University
of Technology, Akure and
the Federal University of
Agriculture, Abeokuta, Ogun
State.
The release, which is the
third edition of the SCimago
Institutions Rankings, is one
of the most comprehensive
research ranking of
universities with over 3,042
institutions from all over the
world grouped into five
institutional sectors.
The ranking was based on
six selected indicators
seeking to reveal the main
aspects of research size,
performance, impact and
internalisation at worldwide
research institutions.
The SIR World Reports
include institutions whose
scholars that published in
reputable international
journal, exceed certain
thresholds and are cited in
Elsevier-Scopus database.
Responding to the report,
the Vice-Chancellor, UI, Prof.
Isaac Adewole, said it was a
good development for the
institution and a pointer to
the fact that the university’s
rating as the best in the
country by the webometric
ranking last year was not a
fluke.
“The report is heartwarming
but that is not where we
want to stop, we are taking
UI back to where it rightly
belongs. You will recall that
there was a time that we
were rated as one of the
best five in the
Commonwealth, our focus is
not just to be one of the
best in the Commonwealth but
in the world,” he said.
Also, the FUNAAB’s
Coordinator of Webometrics,
Dr. O. Folorunso, said the
report would form part of the
criteria to be used in the
January 2012 World
Webometrics Ranking of
universities which attracts
10 per cent of the total
scores.
The FUNAAB Vice-Chancellor,
Prof. Oluwafemi Balogun, in a
statement, expressed his
delight at the development
with a further assurance that
the university, which placed
ninth in Nigeria, and 56th on
the list, would not relent in
its pursuit of global
excellence. (Source: The
Punch)