Abuja: The Federal Government has unveiled a new initiative aimed at promoting academic excellence across Nigeria’s tertiary institutions. On Monday, the government inaugurated the Tertiary Institutions National Laureate Committee, setting the stage for an annual award programme that will allocate ?365 million to outstanding undergraduate, master’s, and doctoral research.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, this initiative is part of a broader governmental effort to prioritize scholarship, innovation, and research on a national level. The Committee was inaugurated by Minister of Education Tunji Alausa at the Digital Resource Centre of the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC). It is tasked with overseeing the National Laureate Programme, which aims to elevate academic excellence to the highest level of national recognition while promoting research commercialisation and innovation across Nigeria’s accredited post-secondary and tertiary institutions.
Minister Alausa articulated the Federal Government’s deliberate strategy to reshape the country’s reward system by placing scholarly achievements and scientific discoveries alongside other nationally celebrated accomplishments. He expressed confidence that the initiative would spur a new generation of young Nigerians to engage in research that addresses real-world issues, fosters the development of new industries, and enhances Nigeria’s global competitiveness.
Highlighting the future economic prospects tied to knowledge conversion, Alausa emphasized the need for Nigeria to celebrate intellectual achievements as part of building a globally competitive knowledge economy. He remarked on the importance of establishing a national platform to reward creativity, scholarship, invention, and commercially valuable research, particularly among young people, in an era dominated by a social media-driven ‘attention economy’.
The newly inaugurated Committee is chaired by Prof. Abubakar Sambo, President of the Nigerian Academy of Science, and includes distinguished members from various academic and governmental institutions. These include Prof. Solomon Nwhator, Prof. Tolulope Ariyomo, Prof. Francis Uba, Dr Babangida Albaba, Dr Salihu Girei, Prof. Carol Arinze-Umobi, Dr Obianuju Anigbogu, Mr Francis Egbokare, Dr Ezinne Orisakwe, and Dr Pius Ekireghwo, with Mr Richard Falaye serving as the Secretary to the Committee.
The inaugural National Laureate Awards are scheduled for November 2026. They will recognize the country’s finest Undergraduate Dissertations, Master’s Theses, and Doctoral (PhD) Theses, alongside six thematic Excellence Awards in fields such as Medicine and Health Sciences, Engineering and Technology, Agriculture, Law, Arts and Social Sciences, and Teaching Innovation. The prize structure awards ?35 million for the best Undergraduate Dissertation, ?50 million for the top Master’s Thesis, and ?100 million for the leading Doctoral (PhD) work. Six additional National Laureate Excellence Awards, each worth ?30 million, will also be presented annually.
Additionally, the Dr Stella Adadevoh Excellence Award in Medicine and Medical Innovation has been established to honor the late physician’s pivotal role during the 2014 Ebola outbreak. Minister Alausa instructed the Committee to finalize eligibility requirements and evaluation procedures to ensure the successful hosting of the inaugural Awards in November.
Prof. Sambo, speaking on behalf of the Committee, commended the initiative as a significant shift in Nigeria’s education policy. He praised President Bola Tinubu’s administration for prioritizing academic excellence and research as central components of national development. Sambo assured that the selection process would be transparent, fair, and merit-based, providing equal opportunity for all eligible students, irrespective of institution or geographical location.
The programme is anticipated to foster deeper collaboration between educational institutions, industry, and government, creating stronger incentives for commercially viable research and enhancing Nigeria’s competitive position within the global knowledge economy.