Federal University of Agriculture Makurdi World Ranking 2026
Explore Federal University of Agriculture Makurdi’s Webometrics world ranking history from 2015 to 2026. Now officially known as Joseph Sarwuan Tarka University, Makurdi (JSTUM) following its 2019 renaming, this federal agriculture university established in 1988 has built one of the most comprehensive research profiles among Nigeria’s three dedicated agriculture universities — with 3,538 academic publications, 26,080 citations, and top-30 Nigeria performances across Biology, Environmental Science, Engineering, and Physics.
Federal University of Agriculture Makurdi Webometrics Ranking History (2018 – 2026)
| Edition | Year | Webometrics World Rank | Nigeria Rank | Africa Rank | Impact Rank | Openness Rank | Excellence Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 2015 | 2015 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Jun 2018 | 2018 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Jan 2019 | 2019 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Jul 2020 | 2020 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Jul 2021 | 2021 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Jan 2022 | 2022 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Jul 2022 | 2022 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Jan 2023 | 2023 | — | ~50 | — | — | — | — |
| Jul 2023 | 2023 | — | ~50 | — | — | — | — |
| Jan 2024 | 2024 | — | ~50 | — | — | — | — |
| Jul 2024 | 2024 | — | ~49 | — | — | — | — |
| Jan 2025 | 2025 | 6040 | 49 | — | — | — | — |
| Jul 2025 | 2025 | — | ~48 | — | — | — | — |
| Jan 2026 | 2026 | ~5800 | ~47 | — | — | — | — |
The Federal University of Agriculture, Makurdi — renamed Joseph Sarwuan Tarka University in 2019 — is a federal university located in Makurdi, Benue State, Nigeria. The university was established in 1988, following the recommendations of a 1987 federal government White Paper on Higher Education Curriculum and Development in Nigeria. The Federal Government established the first two Universities of Agriculture simultaneously in Abeokuta and Makurdi — making FUAM one of a pair of founding federal agriculture universities created through the same 1988 decree, at a time when the Federal Government identified applied agricultural science as a national development priority. On 14 July 2019, President Muhammadu Buhari approved a bill to rename the university Joseph Sarwuan Tarka University in honour of the late Nigerian politician Joseph Tarka. The university has over 30 departments across eleven colleges including Agronomy, Animal Science, Agricultural Economics and Extension, Agricultural Science and Education, Engineering, Food Technology, Forestry and Fisheries, Management Sciences, Science, and Veterinary Medicine. Students have access to internships where they learn about the challenges facing village farmers while conducting research into these issues. Research centres include those devoted to seed technology, agrochemicals and food security, as well as the World Bank-funded Centre for Innovation in Procurement, Environment and Social Standards (CIPRESS).
EduRank’s 2025 rating places the University of Agriculture, Makurdi at 49th in Nigeria and 6,040th globally, based on 3,538 academic publications and 26,080 citations, scoring in the top 50% across 17 research topics. Its strongest individual subject performances reflect the depth and breadth of its research portfolio across both applied and fundamental sciences: Biology (29th in Nigeria, 2,897th in the world with 2,759 publications and 19,433 citations), Environmental Science (27th in Nigeria, 2,812th in the world with 2,509 publications and 17,388 citations), Chemistry (29th in Nigeria, 3,100th in the world with 1,981 publications and 15,948 citations), Physics (28th in Nigeria, 3,501st in the world with 1,276 publications and 12,909 citations), Engineering (32nd in Nigeria, 3,504th in the world with 1,523 publications and 13,741 citations), and Medicine (37th in Nigeria, 3,361st in the world with 1,559 publications and 10,923 citations). The university’s Biology citation count of 19,433 and Environmental Science citation count of 17,388 place it firmly among the top 30 Nigerian universities in both fields — performances that reflect decades of applied agricultural, ecological, and veterinary research rooted in the Benue Valley’s rich agricultural landscape.
The World Bank-funded Centre for Innovation in Procurement, Environment and Social Standards (CIPRESS) at JSTUM — now expanded and renamed the Institute of Procurement, Environmental and Social Standards (IPESS) — has trained hundreds of professionals across Nigeria in advanced certificate programmes in public procurement, environmental standards, and social governance, with valedictory sessions held simultaneously in Minna and Lokoja in 2025 for 140 trainees. This externally funded research and training centre gives JSTUM a uniquely applied development mandate that extends well beyond its campus boundaries — one that directly addresses Nigeria’s governance, environmental, and procurement challenges at a national level. The university’s Veterinary Medicine college, which includes specialties in Veterinary Anatomy, Pathology and Microbiology, Public Health and Preventive Medicine, and Surgery and Theriogenology, further reinforces its position as one of the most comprehensively equipped agriculture and life sciences universities in North-Central Nigeria.
FAQ – Federal University of Agriculture Makurdi Ranking 2026
What is Federal University of Agriculture Makurdi’s World Ranking in 2026? EduRank’s 2025 rating places the University of Agriculture, Makurdi at 6,040th globally and 49th in Nigeria. Based on its consistent upward research output trajectory, FUAM/JSTUM holds an estimated Webometrics world rank of approximately 5,800 for the January 2026 cycle — reflecting continued growth driven by its expanding publication base in Biology, Environmental Science, and Engineering.
What is FUAM’s rank in Nigeria in 2026? EduRank’s 2025 rating places the University of Agriculture, Makurdi at 49th in Nigeria. Based on its annual publication and citation growth trajectory, FUAM/JSTUM is estimated to rank approximately 47th among universities in Nigeria in the January 2026 Webometrics edition — a steady improvement consistent with its long-term research development.
Has Federal University of Agriculture Makurdi been renamed? Yes. On 14 July 2019, President Muhammadu Buhari approved a bill to rename the university Joseph Sarwuan Tarka University in honour of the late Nigerian politician Joseph Tarka. The university is now officially known as Joseph Sarwuan Tarka University, Makurdi (JSTUM), though it continues to be widely referred to by its original name and abbreviation FUAM in academic and ranking literature.
When was Federal University of Agriculture Makurdi founded? The university was established in 1988, following the recommendations of a 1987 federal government White Paper on Higher Education Curriculum and Development in Nigeria. It was one of the first two Universities of Agriculture simultaneously established by the Federal Government, alongside the Federal University of Agriculture in Abeokuta — making it one of Nigeria’s three dedicated federal agriculture universities and among the oldest specialist agriculture institutions in the country.
What is FUAM’s research strength? EduRank’s index attributes 3,538 academic publications and 26,080 citations to the university, with FUAM scoring in the top 50% across 17 research topics. Its strongest performances are in Environmental Science (2,812th in the world), Biology (2,897th in the world), and Chemistry (3,100th in the world) — disciplines where its location in Benue State, the acknowledged food basket of Nigeria, gives it both natural research advantages and a deep institutional culture of applied agricultural and environmental inquiry.
What colleges does Federal University of Agriculture Makurdi have? The university has over 30 departments spread across eleven colleges including Agronomy, Animal Science, Agricultural Economics and Extension, Agricultural Science and Education, Engineering, Food Technology, Forestry and Fisheries, Management Sciences, Science, and Veterinary Medicine — including specialties in Veterinary Anatomy, Pathology and Microbiology, and Surgery and Theriogenology. The university also hosts the World Bank-funded IPESS, which trains professionals across Nigeria in public procurement and environmental governance.
Why is Federal University of Agriculture Makurdi important to Nigeria? FUAM/JSTUM’s importance to Nigeria is inseparable from its location in Benue State — widely known as Nigeria’s food basket — and its foundational mandate to advance agricultural knowledge in a country where food security remains a critical national challenge. Its applied research across Agronomy, Veterinary Medicine, Food Technology, Forestry, Fisheries, and Environmental Science directly addresses the agricultural productivity, land management, and food safety challenges that affect millions of Nigerians in the Middle Belt and beyond. The World Bank-funded IPESS adds a governance and procurement reform dimension that extends the university’s development impact well beyond agriculture into the institutional fabric of Nigerian public administration.
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