It took nine minutes and 33 seconds yesterday for the fate of the 112 entries in the race for this year’s Nigeria Prize for Science to be known.
Speaking at a media briefing, the Chairman of the Advisory Board, Prof. Barth Nnaji, stated that the decision, though difficult, reinforced the board’s commitment to upholding the integrity of the selection process and protecting the reputation of the prestigious awards.
In a terse statement, he said: “After a rigorous adjudication of the 112 entries submitted this year, none was found suitable for the prize.” The science prize this year looked for innovations in Information and Communication Technology (ICT), Artificial Intelligence (AI), and Digital Technologies.
Nnaji commended the courage and dedication of all who submitted entries, noting their efforts reflected discipline and a desire to contribute to both national and global scientific discourse. He stressed that excellence was beyond effort, and that it required innovation, mastery of craft, and the ability to leave a lasting mark on human thought and development.
While admonishing Nigerian scientists that the high bar set for the prize should not discourage future participation, he stressed that the prize would never compromise on its standards of scientific innovation and excellence.
The board chairman called on Nigerian scientists, researchers, and innovators to be inspired by the judges’ verdict to do more and strive higher.
He noted that the prize was not just about rewarding scientific output, but safeguarding the values of creativity, originality, and scientific rigour that define truly outstanding work.
“To lower the bar would be to betray the trust of the public and diminish the legacy of the Prize itself,” Nnaji affirmed. Pointing to the quality that the prize has been known for, Nnaji said the 2018 winner, Dr Peter Ngene, Associate Professor of Inorganic Chemistry and Catalysis at the Debye Institute of Nanomaterials Science at the Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands’ work, Nanostructured Metal Hydrides for the storage of electric power from the renewable energy sources and from explosion prevention in high voltage power transformers, also won a €2m grant from the European Research Council for his project.
Aside from Ngene, Prof. Hipolite Amadi’s invention in 2023 was more about reducing the number of infant deaths in the country by at least 50 per cent.
With his invention, Polite Heart Sea Park, the Polite Oxygen Blend and the Polite Oxygen SplitaSystem, the professor hopes to see a drastic reduction in infant mortality rate in the country as well as provide the same service at very minimal cost.
Also speaking, the General Manager, External Relations and Sustainability of NLNG, Sophia Horsefall, said, “excellence is our hallmark.” She, however, said the $100,000 allocated as this year’s prize would be used to publicise the prize next year.
This is not the first time the Nigeria Prize for Science has not been awarded. It happened in 2005, 2007, and then during the hiatus between 2011 and 2016, and in 2021.
