₦365m up for grabs as FG rolls out biggest student research prize

Nigeria's Federal Government has initiated the 2026 Tertiary Institutions National Laureate Programme, offering a substantial ₦365 million in prizes to recognize exceptional student research. The program, supported by the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, aims to celebrate outstanding undergraduate projects, master's theses, and doctoral research from universities, polytechnics, colleges of education, monotechnics, and military institutions.

Emeritus Prof. Abubakar Sambo, Chairman of the National Laureate Committee, announced the program's commencement. Participating institutions are required to form Institutional Laureate Selection Committees composed of senior academics. These committees will nominate candidates, with each institution allowed to submit up to 18 entries across different academic levels. Professional bodies are also invited to nominate experts for Regional Laureate Committees that will review submissions.

Eligible research must fall into six thematic areas: Agriculture; Teaching Innovation; Medicine and Health; Engineering; Science and Technology; and Law, Arts, and Social Sciences. The program offers significant financial rewards, including ₦35 million for the best undergraduate research, ₦50 million for the best master's thesis, and ₦100 million for the best doctoral research. Additionally, 15 Thematic Awards of ₦12 million each will be presented.

To uphold research standards and ensure transparency, all nominated works must first be uploaded to the Nigeria Education Repository and Databank (NERD) and assigned a National Document Number. Prof. Sambo stated this measure protects academic integrity and maintains a comprehensive record of Nigerian scholarship. The selection process will unfold in three stages: institutional, regional, and national. Institutions are urged to ensure transparency in their internal screening, with NERD Focal Officers managing submissions via the Laureate portal. The deadline for submitting committee member names is August 15, 2026, and entries must be submitted by August 31, 2026. Prof. Sambo described the initiative as a "landmark investment in intellectual capital," designed to foster research excellence and innovation.

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a landmark investment in intellectual capital