Abuja:The Federal Government has announced its commitment to support Ms. Mary-Brenda Akoda, the winner of the 2026 Nigeria Prize for Science, for her groundbreaking invention, GenScan AI, which significantly reduces MRI scan times.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, the announcement was made by Dr. Tunji Alausa, the Minister of Education, during a public event in Abuja organized by Nigeria LNG Limited. Dr. Alausa praised Akoda’s innovation as a major advancement in diagnostic imaging, capable of reducing MRI scan times from 60 minutes to six minutes. He urged Akoda to secure copyright and trademark protections for her invention and emphasized its potential to transform imaging technologies beyond MRI to include CT scans, X-rays, and angiography.
The Federal Government plans to connect Akoda with the Committee of Chief Medical Directors of federal teaching hospitals to conduct national pilot programs. The innovation is aligned with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
Dr. Kingsley Udeh, the Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, highlighted the ministry’s role in promoting innovation and commercializing research outcomes. Represented by Kolawole Raji of the National Board for Technology Incubation (NBTI), Udeh noted that the NBTI had shortlisted 290 innovators from over 5,000 entries for the NextGen Innovation Challenge. These innovators were assessed using the NASA Technology Readiness Assessment framework. Udeh reported that some innovators had already attracted significant international investment for their projects.
Dr. Sophia Horsfall from NLNG explained that the Nigeria Prize for Science was established to honor scientific achievements that address the country’s challenges. GenScan AI was selected from 237 entries for its ability to enhance image quality and accommodate patient movement during scans.
In her presentation, Akoda, an AI Research Scientist and Google DeepMind Scholar from Imperial College London, explained that GenScan AI uses artificial intelligence to reconstruct high-quality diagnostic images quickly. This technology, supported by Innovate UK and clinical partners in several countries, can potentially enable over 40,000 additional patients to be scanned each week.
Prof. Barth Nnaji, chairman of the advisory board committee, noted the absence of a winner in 2025 due to unmet benchmarks. The Nigeria Prize for Science and Innovation includes a $100,000 reward for research with practical societal benefits.