Nigeria Prize For Science To Focus On AI, Digital Tech – NLNG

In a move to promote innovation and creativity, submissions for the 2025 awards for the Nigeria Prize for Science and Literature have been opened, the Nigeria LNG Ltd. Corporate Communications and Public Affairs Manager, Anne-Marie Palmer-Ikuku, said on Sunday.

It said that this year, the Science Prize would be for innovations in Information and Communication Technology (ICT), Artificial Intelligence (AI), and Digital Technologies that could drive development.

According to the statement, the Literature Prize on the other hand, is calling for entries in Prose Fiction.

It said the focus on AI came as technology continued to reshape global economies and industries, creating new job opportunities and transforming productivity.

According to the statement, recent studies suggest that AI could add between 2.6 trillion and 4.4 trillion to global corporate profits each year.

Commenting, Prof. Barth Nnaji, Chairman of the Advisory Board, Science Prize said that the rapid evolution of AI and digital technologies provided a unique opportunity for Nigeria and other developing nations to leapfrog traditional development trajectories.

“Our goal is to celebrate groundbreaking solutions that can directly impact Nigeria’s journey toward sustainable development.

“Artificial Intelligence is not just a tool, but a game-changer, “Nnaji said.

He noted that from optimising agriculture in diverse climates to improving public health infrastructure and transforming Nigeria’s digital economy, AI held immense potential to drive inclusive and sustainable growth.

The professor said the science competition was open to global scientists and innovators, whose completed works demonstrate a proof of concept and tangible social impact, with a 100,000 dollars prize.

Also, chairperson of the Advisory Board for Literature Prize, Prof. Akachi Adimora-Ezeigbo,  said prose literature is a mirror reflecting society.

Adimora-Ezeigbo said that through storytelling, we find ways to understand our collective experiences and envision a better future.

The professor said that this year’s competition promised to bring forward stories that resonated deeply with both local and global audiences.

Adimora-Ezeigbo said authors of Nigerian descent, resident anywhere in the world, were invited to submit books published from 2022 onward for a chance to win the 100,000 dollar prize.

General manager, External Relations and Sustainable Development, NLNG, Sophia Horsfall, emphasised the significance of the 2025 competitions, adding that research had shown immense potential.

She stated that as the world transitioned from the industrial age to the intelligent age, the advancements provided new opportunities to drive economic growth, foster social progress, and build a sustainable future.