ABUJA, Nigeria – The Federal Government has officially launched the Tertiary Institutions National Laureate Prize, backed by an initial annual fund of ₦365 million (approximately $237,000), to celebrate and reward groundbreaking academic research, technological innovation, and intellectual excellence across Nigerian universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education.
The Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, announced the initiative on Thursday, August 27, 2026, following a joint press briefing in Abuja alongside the implementation team from the Nigeria Education Repository and Databank (NERD).
Okay News reports that the merit-driven reward system is open to undergraduate and post-graduate scholars across all accredited tertiary institutions nationwide, providing substantial financial grants to scale high-impact research projects into commercial solutions and national enterprises.
Under the prize structure, the Doctoral Star Prize winner will receive ₦100 million (approximately $65,000), the Master’s Star Prize winner will receive ₦50 million (approximately $32,500), and the Undergraduate Star Prize will award ₦35 million (approximately $22,750), while an additional ₦180 million has been allocated across 15 Thematic Excellence categories valued at ₦12 million each.
“The Prize is open to students and researchers across every accredited tertiary institution in Nigeria, providing a truly national platform to identify and reward our brightest minds and most impactful research,” Alausa stated. “In addition to the Star Prizes, the National Laureate Prize will feature special awards across critical fields, including Engineering and Technology, Medicine and Health Sciences, Arts and Social Sciences, Agriculture, Law and Teaching Innovation.”
The Ministry also instituted the Dr. Stella Adadevoh Prize for Medicine and Medical Innovation, dedicated in memory of the late physician whose swift clinical intervention curtailed the spread of the Ebola virus disease in Nigeria in 2014.
Alausa noted that the platform directly reflects the human capital development agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, aimed at converting academic research into practical economic drivers.
“Our goal is to build an education system that does not simply produce certificates, but produces solutions, innovations, enterprises and measurable national value,” the Minister added, reaffirming that the Ministry and NERD will ensure a transparent, competitive, and strictly merit-based selection process.
