FG unveils ₦365m annual research prize, inaugurates National Laureate Committee

The Federal Government has inaugurated the Tertiary Institutions National Laureate Committee to oversee a new annual award programme that will reward outstanding research by students in Nigerian tertiary institutions with prizes worth about ₦365 million.

The committee was inaugurated on Monday in Abuja by the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, at the Digital Resource Centre of the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC).

The National Laureate Programme is designed to recognise exceptional undergraduate, master’s and doctoral research while promoting innovation, academic excellence and the commercialisation of research findings across accredited tertiary institutions.

Speaking at the inauguration, Alausa said the initiative was part of the government’s efforts to reposition research, scholarship and innovation as key drivers of national development.

According to him, the programme will encourage young Nigerians to pursue research capable of solving real-world problems, creating industries and strengthening the country’s competitiveness in the global knowledge economy.

“The future prosperity of nations will increasingly depend on their ability to convert knowledge into economic value,” the minister said, adding that Nigeria must deliberately celebrate intellectual achievement alongside other national accomplishments.

The minister also noted that the programme seeks to shift attention from social media-driven recognition by rewarding creativity, scientific discovery and commercially valuable research.

Under the approved prize structure, the winner of the best undergraduate dissertation will receive ₦35 million, while the best master’s thesis will attract ₦50 million. The overall winner in the doctoral (PhD) category will receive ₦100 million.

In addition, six National Laureate Excellence Awards worth ₦30 million each will be presented annually in the fields of Medicine and Health Sciences, Engineering and Technology, Agriculture, Law, Arts and Social Sciences, and Teaching Innovation.

Alausa also announced the creation of the Dr. Stella Adadevoh Excellence Award in Medicine and Medical Innovation in honour of the late physician whose role during Nigeria’s 2014 Ebola outbreak was widely credited with preventing a national health crisis.

The minister directed the committee to finalise the programme’s eligibility criteria, evaluation process and institutional engagement ahead of the maiden National Laureate Awards scheduled for November 2026.

The committee is chaired by the President of the Nigerian Academy of Science, Prof. Abubakar Sambo, and comprises representatives of the National Universities Commission, TETFund, the National Board for Technical Education, the National Commission for Colleges of Education, the Nigerian Academy of Letters and other academic institutions.

Responding on behalf of the committee, Sambo described the initiative as a landmark reform in Nigeria’s education sector and pledged that the selection process would be guided by transparency, fairness and merit.

He assured that every eligible student, regardless of institution or location, would have an equal opportunity to emerge as a National Laureate.