The Federal Government has approved the Nigeria National Laureate Annual Prize Programme to recognise outstanding academic research in tertiary schools across the country.
The Honourable Minister of Education, Dr Maruf Olatunji Alausa, described the programme as a move to raise scholarly excellence and make research a stronger part of national development. The message is plain; student research is being placed in full View.
What the National Laureate Prize offers
The programme will reward top-performing students at three levels of study.
The approved prize amounts are:
- N5 million for undergraduate dissertations
- N10 million for master's theses
- N20 million for doctoral research
Each winner will also receive national recognition.
Purpose of the programme
Dr Alausa said the programme aims to reposition academic work as a valuable national asset. It is meant to encourage fresh thinking and intellectual contribution from students in tertiary schools.
That aim sits at the centre of the plan; research is not being treated as shelf work.
Who will fund and manage the prize
The programme will be funded by the Nigeria Education Repository and Databank, NERD and its partners.
A 10-member committee has also been set up to oversee the process. Prof. Abubakar Sambo will chair the committee.
The committee will handle:
- submission
- evaluation
- selection processes
How entries will be identified
Tertiary schools have been directed to nominate outstanding research for the prize.
The committee may also identify exceptional works on its own. That gives the process two routes; nomination by schools and direct identification by the committee.
Timeline for the 2026 cycle
The 2026 cycle will follow this schedule:
May 2026
The call for submissions will begin.
June to September 2026
Evaluation of entries will take place.
November 2026
The cycle will end with a National Laureate Gala in Abuja.
What this means for student research
The new prize places direct attention on student dissertations, master's theses and doctoral research. It also sets clear reward levels for each category, with the highest award fixed at N20 million.
For tertiary schools, the next step is nomination. For the committee, the next task is to manage submissions, assess entries and select the final winners.
