The Federal Government has inaugurated the Tertiary Institutions National Laureate Committee, kick-starting a new national awards programme that will reward outstanding academic research with an annual prize pool of about N365 million.­

 

 

Speaking at the inauguration of the committee in Abuja on Tuesday, Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, described the National Laureate Programme as a strategic initiative aimed at placing academic excellence, research, innovation and commercialisation at the heart of Nigeria’s development agenda.

 

 

He said the programme seeks to transform the country’s reward system by giving scholarly achievements the same national recognition accorded to excellence in other sectors, while inspiring young researchers, innovators and inventors to develop solutions that drive economic growth.

 

 

Dr Alausa directed the newly inaugurated committee to develop transparent award criteria, engage tertiary institutions nationwide and ensure the successful hosting of the maiden National Laureate Awards in November 2026.

 

 

The panel is chaired by Emeritus Prof. Abubakar Sambo, President of the Nigerian Academy of Science.

 

 

Other members of the committee are: Professor Solomon Nwhator of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife; Professor Tolulope Ariyomo of the Federal University Oye-Ekiti; Professor Francis Uba of the Federal University of Health Sciences, Otukpo and Dr Babangida Abubakar Albaba, representing the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE).

 

 

 

It also comprises Dr Salihu Bakari Girei, representing the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund); Professor Carol Arinze-Umobi of Nnamdi Azikiwe University; Dr Obianuju Anigbogu, representing the Federal Ministry of Education; Francis Egbokare, representing the Nigerian Academy of Letters; Dr Ezinne Orisakwe, representing the National Universities Commission (NUC); Dr Pius Ekireghwo, representing the National Commission for Colleges of Education (NCCE); while Mr Richard Falaye, Secretary of the Nigeria Education Repository and Databank (NERD), serves as Secretary.

 

 

Among its responsibilities are developing award criteria in line with international best practices, overseeing an independent adjudication process, managing the annual prize fund, engaging stakeholders and safeguarding the credibility of the programme.

 

 

The National Laureate Programme will recognise the best Undergraduate Dissertation, Master’s Thesis and Doctoral (PhD) Thesis, alongside six Excellence Awards in Medicine and Health Sciences, Engineering and Technology, Agriculture, Law, Arts and Social Sciences, and Teaching Innovation.

 

 

Under the prize structure, the best undergraduate dissertation will receive N35 million, the best master’s thesis N50 million, while the best PhD thesis will earn N100 million. Six thematic Excellence Awards worth N30 million each bring the total annual prize fund to approximately N365 million, making it one of Africa’s largest publicly funded academic awards.

 

 

The minister also announced the Dr Stella Adadevoh Excellence Award in Medicine and Medical Innovation, named in honour of the late physician whose intervention helped prevent the spread of the Ebola virus in Nigeria in 2014.

 

 

Responding on behalf of the committee, Prof. Sambo commended the Federal Government for prioritising academic excellence and pledged that the selection process would be transparent, merit-based, nationally inclusive and free from institutional bias.

 

 

According to the government, the initiative is designed to strengthen research commercialisation, promote innovation and encourage Nigerian students and scholars to develop ideas capable of solving real-world problems and driving national development.