The Federal Government has kicked off the 2026 National Laureate Programme, a massive ₦365 million initiative that will reward Nigeria’s brightest students and researchers with cash prizes of up to ₦100 million.
The Tertiary Institutions National Laureate Committee announced the launch on Sunday, describing the programme as a major push to celebrate outstanding research and innovation in universities, polytechnics, colleges of education, monotechnics, military institutions and other accredited tertiary schools.
Committee spokesperson, Ita Ekpenyong, said the initiative reflects the government’s determination to strengthen Nigeria’s research sector and use academic excellence to drive national development.
The programme, inaugurated under the leadership of the Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, will honour exceptional undergraduate dissertations, master’s theses and doctoral research from institutions across the country.
Under the prize scheme, the best undergraduate research will earn ₦35 million, outstanding master’s research will receive ₦50 million, while the top doctoral research will pocket a whopping ₦100 million. Another 15 outstanding researchers will each receive ₦12 million as Thematic Laureate Award winners.
Eligible institutions have been directed to immediately set up selection committees to identify their best research works before submitting them for the national competition.
Each university can nominate up to 18 research projects, while equivalent entries will be accepted from polytechnics, colleges of education, monotechnics and other eligible institutions.
The competition will cover six major fields, including Agriculture, Medicine and Health Sciences, Engineering, Science and Technology, Law, Teaching Innovation, and Arts and Social Sciences.
To qualify, every research work must first be registered with the Nigeria Education Repository and Databank and assigned a valid National Document Number.
The committee said winners will emerge through a rigorous three-stage screening process involving institutional, regional and national assessments to ensure only the very best research is rewarded.
Institutions and professional bodies have until August 15 to set up their committees and nominate experts, while submissions of research entries will close on August 31.
Chairman of the National Laureate Committee, Prof. Abubakar Sambo, said the programme is designed to promote academic excellence, encourage world-class research and recognise groundbreaking ideas capable of transforming Nigeria’s future.
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