FG sets up national laureate committee, unveils ₦365m annual prize

Nigeria's Federal Government has established the Tertiary Institutions National Laureate Committee to oversee a new ₦365 million annual prize program. This initiative aims to recognize and reward outstanding academic research, innovation, and the commercialization of research within the nation's tertiary institutions.

Inaugurating the committee in Abuja, Minister of Education Dr. Tunji Alausa emphasized that the National Laureate Programme is a strategic effort to prioritize academic excellence nationally. He stated the program is designed to transform Nigeria's reward system, ensuring scholarly achievements receive recognition comparable to other sectors. "The National Laureate Programme represents a deliberate investment in Nigeria’s young intellectual capital," Alausa said. "It is intended to celebrate knowledge, innovation, creativity and research-driven development while strengthening the country’s research commercialisation ecosystem."

The program will award significant sums for top academic work: ₦35 million for the best undergraduate dissertation, ₦50 million for the best master's thesis, and ₦100 million for the best doctoral thesis. Additionally, six National Laureate Excellence Awards will each be worth ₦30 million.

A special honor, the Dr. Stella Adadevoh Excellence Award in Medicine and Medical Innovation, will be established. This recognizes the late physician's crucial role in Nigeria's successful containment of the Ebola outbreak in 2014. The committee, chaired by Emeritus Prof. Abubakar Sambo, President of the Nigerian Academy of Science, includes representatives from key educational bodies and stakeholders. They are tasked with developing transparent criteria, overseeing adjudication, managing the prize fund, and ensuring the program's integrity.

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The National Laureate Programme represents a deliberate investment in Nigeria’s young intellectual capital. It is intended to celebrate knowledge, innovation, creativity and research-driven development while strengthening the country’s research commercialisation ecosystem.