Alex Ekwueme Federal University Ndufu-Alike, Ebonyi State has been rated highly in the Times Higher Education (THE) 2022 Impact Rankings of World Universities. This is the first time in the history of the University that it was rated by the renowned and reputable global ranking body.

The University was ranked 6th in Impact among the universities that were rated in Nigeria. It was also rated among the 80 and 1, 406 universities that were ranked in Africa and globally across 106 countries and regions.

The Times Higher Education Impact Rankings measure global universities’ success in delivering the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in the discharge of their academic activities – teaching, research and community service (outreach), and stewardship.


VC, Prof. Sunday Oge Elom
Though, the university performed creditably well across the 17 SDGs, nevertheless, its greatest impact was made in goal 13, which deals with Climate Action. This is a veritable credence on the Campus-Green Initiative of the University which has led to the planting of over 33, 000 trees on campus to confront climate change. The climate action activities of the Centre for Climate Change and Development (CCCD) and the partnership the University has with the Association of Commonwealth Universities (ACU), which among other things is also promoting climate action in Ebonyi state, also underscore the sterling performance of the University in that regard.

It is instructive to note that the Times Higher Education 2022 Impact Rankings only rated 9 universities out of over 200 federal, state and private universities in Nigeria. The universities are Afe Babalola University, Covenant University, University of Ibadan, University of Lagos, Landmark University, Alex Ekwueme Federal University, Ndufu-Alike, Babcock University, Edo State University, Uzairue and Lagos State University. Thus, AE-FUNAI is the only university that was ranked in the Southeast of Nigeria.

The implication of the ranking is that the academic activities of AE-FUNAI have been globally recognized as tailored towards the attainment of the United Nations’ approved Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). And for the University to be one of the 9 universities in Nigeria to be recognized by Times Higher Education for such is a huge milestone, and a credible testament that the University is on the right track to global competitiveness.