Nigeria's Top 2% Scientists 2021
Nigeria has 121 scientists on the 2021 single-year Top 2% list, up 70.4% from 71 in 2020. That places Nigeria 50th in the world by number of listed scientists. University of Ibadan has the most listed scientists (12), followed by Covenant University (8).
Scientists in Nigeria on the list, by year
The single-year count has grown 70% since 2020.
Show the numbers
| Year | Single Year | Change | Career Data | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 71 | 42 | ||
| 2021 | 121 | +70.4% | 73 | +73.8% |
| 2022 | 150 | +24.0% | 87 | +19.2% |
| 2023 | 186 | +24.0% | 99 | +13.8% |
| 2024 | 233 | +25.3% | 117 | +18.2% |
| 2025 | 291 | +24.9% | 142 | +21.4% |
Top 10 institutes in Nigeria
By number of listed scientists
All 121 scientists
| Rank in Nigeria | World rank | Scientist | Institute | Sub-field | Rank in sub-field |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 6,108 |
GO
|
University of Ibadan | Psychiatry | Rank 150 |
| 2 | 6,628 | Ladoke Akintola University of Technology | Environmental Sciences | Rank 65 | |
| 3 | 7,512 | Centre for Healthy Start Initiative | Pediatrics | Rank 14 | |
| 4 | 12,005 | Federal University of Technology, Owerri | Materials | Rank 204 | |
| 5 | 12,576 |
OG
|
Federal University of Technology, Akure | Food Science | Rank 70 |
| 6 | 15,707 | Air Force Institute of Technology | Mechanical Engineering & Transports | Rank 150 | |
| 7 | 24,787 | College of Medicine, University of Ibadan | Neurology & Neurosurgery | Rank 1,421 | |
| 8 | 26,877 | Federal University of Technology, Akure | Mechanical Engineering & Transports | Rank 268 | |
| 9 | 27,547 | College of Medicine, University of Ibadan | Toxicology | Rank 110 | |
| 10 | 31,204 | Federal University, Oye-Ekiti | Food Science | Rank 208 | |
| 11 | 36,643 | Federal University of Technology, Akure | Materials | Rank 669 | |
| 12 | 39,219 | Alex Ekwueme Federal University Teaching Hospital | General & Internal Medicine | Rank 484 | |
| 13 | 44,264 | Ebonyi State University | General & Internal Medicine | Rank 541 | |
| 14 | 49,104 | Fountain University | Analytical Chemistry | Rank 288 | |
| 15 | 53,772 | Federal University Dutse | General Physics | Rank 302 | |
| 16 | 54,058 | Bells University of Technology | Energy | Rank 1,138 | |
| 17 | 56,433 | Federal University Dutse | Optoelectronics & Photonics | Rank 117 | |
| 18 | 57,815 | Lagos State University | Psychiatry | Rank 1,022 | |
| 19 | 62,074 | Usmanu Danfodiyo University | Energy | Rank 1,309 | |
| 20 | 62,259 | University of Port Harcourt | Toxicology | Rank 238 | |
| 21 | 62,417 | Ladoke Akintola University of Technology | Chemical Engineering | Rank 415 | |
| 22 | 63,033 | Adekunle Ajasin University | Chemical Engineering | Rank 423 | |
| 23 | 63,323 | Rivers State University of Science and Technology | Ecology | Rank 1,284 | |
| 24 | 65,250 | Central Bank of Nigeria | Finance | Rank 230 | |
| 25 | 69,570 | Federal University of Technology, Akure | Food Science | Rank 520 | |
| 26 | 71,682 | Covenant University | Energy | Rank 1,520 | |
| 27 | 72,704 | Covenant University | Materials | Rank 1,339 | |
| 28 | 79,223 | University of Ibadan | Microbiology | Rank 1,769 | |
| 29 | 84,849 | Covenant University | Materials | Rank 1,596 | |
| 30 | 87,191 | University of Nigeria | Energy | Rank 1,873 | |
| 31 | 89,197 | Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta | Environmental Sciences | Rank 1,160 | |
| 32 | 96,255 | University of Benin | Microbiology | Rank 2,157 | |
| 33 | 98,661 | Obafemi Awolowo University | Chemical Physics | Rank 1,451 | |
| 34 | 100,264 | University of Lagos | Environmental Sciences | Rank 1,321 | |
| 35 | 102,156 | National Hospital, Abuja | Pediatrics | Rank 354 | |
| 36 | 102,723 | Ladoke Akintola University of Technology | Biotechnology | Rank 421 | |
| 37 | 103,172 | University of Nigeria | Health Policy & Services | Rank 279 | |
| 38 | 105,964 | University of Ibadan | Energy | Rank 2,341 | |
| 39 | 106,472 | University of Ibadan | Food Science | Rank 840 | |
| 40 | 108,505 | Federal University of Technology, Akure | Food Science | Rank 861 | |
| 41 | 110,760 | Delta State University Nigeria | Environmental Sciences | Rank 1,474 | |
| 42 | 110,806 | African University of Science and Technology | General Mathematics | Rank 644 | |
| 43 | 111,813 | Ahmadu Bello University | Geological & Geomatics Engineering | Rank 867 | |
| 44 | 112,382 | Adamawa State University | Energy | Rank 2,525 | |
| 45 | 112,403 | University of Ibadan | Economics | Rank 1,338 | |
| 46 | 115,122 | Bayero University | Tropical Medicine | Rank 194 | |
| 47 | 115,600 | University of Port Harcourt | Toxicology | Rank 482 | |
| 48 | 116,141 | Ahmadu Bello University | Mechanical Engineering & Transports | Rank 1,063 | |
| 49 | 120,237 | Ebonyi State University | Chemical Physics | Rank 1,734 | |
| 50 | 126,308 | University of Lagos | General & Internal Medicine | Rank 1,308 | |
| 51 | 127,055 | University of Nigeria | Building & Construction | Rank 669 | |
| 52 | 136,399 | Federal University, Lafia | General Physics | Rank 751 | |
| 53 | 136,593 | Universiti Teknologi Malaysia | Geological & Geomatics Engineering | Rank 1,063 | |
| 54 | 136,847 | Chevron Nigeria Limited | Energy | Rank 3,145 | |
| 55 | 139,227 | University of Ibadan | Energy | Rank 3,195 | |
| 56 | 140,972 | University of Lagos | Mechanical Engineering & Transports | Rank 1,295 | |
| 57 | 141,612 | Nigerian Institute of Medical Research | Microbiology | Rank 3,147 | |
| 58 | 142,146 | University of Benin | Obstetrics & Reproductive Medicine | Rank 988 | |
| 59 | 143,575 | University of Ibadan | Toxicology | Rank 611 | |
| 60 | 143,893 | Bayero University | Analytical Chemistry | Rank 1,083 | |
| 61 | 144,553 | Landmark University | Energy | Rank 3,322 | |
| 62 | 145,359 | Covenant University | Artificial Intelligence & Image Processing | Rank 3,280 | |
| 63 | 145,774 | Redeemer‘s University | Mechanical Engineering & Transports | Rank 1,350 | |
| 64 | 148,144 | Imo State University | Chemical Engineering | Rank 1,138 | |
| 65 | 148,295 | Covenant University | Materials | Rank 2,996 | |
| 66 | 150,684 | University of Nigeria | Materials | Rank 3,053 | |
| 67 | 150,903 | International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Ibadan | Plant Biology & Botany | Rank 2,390 | |
| 68 | 152,674 | Obafemi Awolowo University | Energy | Rank 3,516 | |
| 69 | 163,174 | Redeemer‘s University | Chemical Engineering | Rank 1,272 | |
| 70 | 167,993 | Covenant University | Economics | Rank 1,836 | |
| 71 | 168,671 | Federal University of Technology, Owerri | Energy | Rank 3,939 | |
| 72 | 168,742 | University of Ibadan | Energy | Rank 3,944 | |
| 73 | 172,271 | Nile University of Nigeria | Toxicology | Rank 744 | |
| 74 | 174,083 |
IA
|
University of Port Harcourt | Nuclear & Particle Physics | Rank 2,134 |
| 75 | 174,547 | University of Nigeria | General Physics | Rank 958 | |
| 76 | 175,192 | Obafemi Awolowo University | Dentistry | Rank 860 | |
| 77 | 183,105 | Obafemi Awolowo University | Artificial Intelligence & Image Processing | Rank 4,111 | |
| 78 | 185,296 | Federal University of Technology, Akure | Toxicology | Rank 820 | |
| 79 | 186,874 | University of Nigeria | Pharmacology & Pharmacy | Rank 1,427 | |
| 80 | 191,015 | University of Calabar | Energy | Rank 4,548 | |
| 81 | 192,105 | University College Hospital, Ibadan | General & Internal Medicine | Rank 1,940 | |
| 82 | 192,485 |
AO
|
Covenant University | Materials | Rank 4,045 |
| 83 | 192,896 | International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Ibadan | Plant Biology & Botany | Rank 3,107 | |
| 84 | 196,884 | College of Medicine, University of Ibadan | Toxicology | Rank 867 | |
| 85 | 203,831 | Federal University Dutse | Optics | Rank 928 | |
| 86 | 204,716 | Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University | Analytical Chemistry | Rank 1,719 | |
| 87 | 204,957 | University of Nigeria | Industrial Engineering & Automation | Rank 1,826 | |
| 88 | 208,556 | Lagos State University | Medicinal & Biomolecular Chemistry | Rank 852 | |
| 89 | 215,406 | University of Ilorin | Nuclear & Particle Physics | Rank 2,577 | |
| 90 | 215,880 | Bioresources Development Group | Medicinal & Biomolecular Chemistry | Rank 888 | |
| 91 | 216,328 | Nile University of Nigeria | Networking & Telecommunications | Rank 2,034 | |
| 92 | 220,079 | University of Ibadan | Tropical Medicine | Rank 449 | |
| 93 | 223,096 | Science journalist | General & Internal Medicine | Rank 2,230 | |
| 94 | 226,897 | Covenant University | Materials | Rank 4,929 | |
| 95 | 234,878 | Ahmadu Bello University | General & Internal Medicine | Rank 2,332 | |
| 96 | 237,785 | Niger Delta University Teaching Hospital | Tropical Medicine | Rank 500 | |
| 97 | 239,751 | Niger Delta University | General Chemistry | Rank 660 | |
| 98 | 244,961 | University of Nigeria | Applied Physics | Rank 5,557 | |
| 99 | 246,440 | University of Ibadan | Toxicology | Rank 1,113 | |
| 100 | 254,316 | Federal University of Petroleum Resources, Effurun | Inorganic & Nuclear Chemistry | Rank 1,438 | |
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See all 121 scientists in Nigeria
You are seeing the first 100. 21 more are on the 2021 single-year list.
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Frequently asked questions
How many scientists from Nigeria are in the 2021 Stanford Top 2% list?
121 scientists affiliated with Nigeria are on the 2021 single-year list, and 73 are on the career-long list.
Which institute in Nigeria has the most Top 2% scientists?
On the 2021 single-year list, University of Ibadan has the most listed scientists from Nigeria, with 12. It is followed by Covenant University with 8.
How has the number of Top 2% scientists in Nigeria changed since 2020?
On the single-year list, Nigeria went from 71 scientists in 2020 to 121 in 2021, a change of +70.4%.
What is the difference between the single-year and career-long lists?
The single-year list ranks scientists on the citations their work received in one year. The career-long list ranks them on citations across their whole career. Both lists are published every year, and a scientist can be on one, both or neither.
What is the official source of this data?
The rankings come from the science-wide author databases of standardized citation indicators published by Ioannidis et al. in the Elsevier Data Repository, updated every year. TOPSCINET, an independent platform, organises that data by country, year, institute and field, so you can compare and explore it.