The Federal Government has launched a groundbreaking initiative to celebrate academic excellence and innovation, unveiling the Nigeria National Laureate Annual Prize Programme an ambitious scheme set to reward the country’s top student researchers with up to ₦20 million.
Announced by the Honourable Minister of Education, Maruf Olatunji Alausa, the programme is positioned as a bold step toward redefining Nigeria’s education landscape by placing research, intellectual achievement, and innovation at the centre of national recognition.
The National Laureate Prize will honour exceptional dissertations and theses from accredited tertiary institutions across three academic tiers. Undergraduate winners will receive a minimum of ₦5 million, master’s degree recipients ₦10 million, and doctoral scholars up to ₦20 million, alongside prestigious national honours.
According to the Minister, the initiative underscores the Federal Government’s commitment to building a knowledge-driven economy where research and innovation serve as catalysts for national development. He emphasised that the programme seeks to elevate scholarly work to the same level of recognition as other celebrated sectors in society.
“By recognising our brightest minds as National Laureates, we are redefining the value of academic research and ensuring it commands both national prestige and meaningful financial reward,” he said. “This marks a shift where a student’s thesis becomes more than a graduation requirement—it becomes a potential driver of industrialisation and national progress.”
In a strategic move to ensure sustainability, the programme will be fully funded by the Nigeria Education Repository and Databank (NERD) in collaboration with its partners, eliminating additional financial pressure on government resources.
To oversee its implementation, a 10-member National Laureate Prize Committee has been inaugurated, chaired by Abubakar Sambo. The committee will coordinate submissions, evaluation processes, and the final selection of awardees, working alongside representatives from key academic and regulatory bodies.
Adding a layer of national significance, select awards will be named in honour of distinguished Nigerians. The inaugural edition will pay tribute to Stella Adadevoh, recognising her legacy of courage, professionalism, and service.
The 2026 programme cycle will commence with a nationwide call for submissions in May via the NERD portal. Evaluations will run from June through September, culminating in the National Laureate Gala scheduled for November 2026 in Abuja, where winners will be formally honoured.
Tertiary institutions nationwide have been encouraged to submit their best research outputs, as the Federal Government signals a new era—one where academic excellence and innovation take centre stage in Nigeria’s development story.
ELIJAH ADEYEMI
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