Nigeria Launches N365m National Laureate Prize For Outstanding Tertiary Students, Researchers

The federal government has launched the Tertiary Institutions National Laureate Prize, an annual initiative designed to recognise and reward outstanding research, innovation and intellectual excellence among students and researchers across Nigeria.

The Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, announced the initiative on Thursday in a post on his X handle, saying the prize would provide a national platform for identifying and supporting exceptional talents in universities, polytechnics and colleges of education.

According to Alausa, the initiative will be backed by an initial annual prize fund of N365 million.

The prize structure includes N35 million for the Undergraduate Star Prize, N50 million for the Master’s Star Prize and N100 million for the Doctoral Star Prize.

An additional N180 million will be allocated to 15 Thematic Excellence Prizes, with each category carrying a prize of N12 million.

Alausa said the prize would be open to students and researchers across all accredited tertiary institutions in Nigeria.

“It is my pleasure to announce the opening of the Tertiary Institutions National Laureate Prize,” the minister said.

He described the initiative as part of the federal government’s commitment to supporting student excellence and promoting research and innovation within the country’s tertiary education system.

“The National Laureate Prize is a new national platform to celebrate and reward outstanding research, innovation and intellectual excellence across our universities, polytechnics and colleges of education,” he said.

The minister said he had on Wednesday held a press briefing alongside members of the Nigeria Education Repository and Databank (NERD) National Laureate team to formally announce the prize and explain its vision, structure and implementation.

He said the briefing also provided an opportunity for journalists to seek clarification on the selection process and the long-term objectives of the initiative.

Beyond the three major Star Prizes, Alausa said the programme would feature special awards covering critical fields, including Engineering and Technology, Medicine and Health Sciences, Arts and Social Sciences, Agriculture, Law and Teaching Innovation.

The government has also established the Dr Stella Adadevoh Prize for Medicine and Medical Innovation in honour of the late Nigerian physician’s courage and contribution to the country.

Alausa said the prize would be jointly implemented by the Federal Ministry of Education and NERD through a transparent, competitive and merit-driven process.

According to him, the selection process will prioritise academic excellence as well as the impact of applicants’ research and innovations.

“This initiative reflects the clear direction of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, under the Renewed Hope Agenda: to build a Nigeria where knowledge, skills, research and innovation are deliberately harnessed to create opportunities, strengthen our economy and improve the lives of our people,” he said.

The minister said the initiative was also designed to support the administration’s focus on human capital development and provide young Nigerians with opportunities to compete, innovate and succeed.

He said the government hoped the programme would contribute to a broader transformation of Nigeria’s education system.

“Our goal is to build an education system that does not simply produce certificates, but produces solutions, innovations, enterprises and measurable national value,” Alausa said.