In what education stakeholders described as one of Nigeria’s most ambitious attempts to reposition scholarship, innovation and research as national priorities, the Federal Government on Monday, inaugurated the Tertiary Institutions National Laureate Committee.
The Committee will set in motion a new annual award programme that will reward outstanding undergraduate, master’s and doctoral research with prizes valued at approximately N365 million.
The Committee was inaugurated by the Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, at the Digital Resource Centre, Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC).
The committee has the mandate of overseeing the implementation of the National Laureate Programme, a flagship initiative designed to elevate academic excellence to the highest level of national recognition.
It will also promote research commercialisation and innovation across Nigeria’s accredited post-secondary and tertiary institutions.
Speaking at the inauguration exercise, Dr Alausa said the programme represented a deliberate effort by the Federal Government to reshape the country’s reward system.
According to him, it will place scholarly achievement, scientific discovery and innovation alongside other nationally celebrated accomplishments.
The Minister add that the initiative is expected to inspire a new generation of young Nigerians to pursue research capable of solving real-world problems, create new industries and strengthens the nation’s global competitiveness.
He said: “The future prosperity of nations will increasingly depend on their ability to convert knowledge into economic value.”
He held that Nigeria must deliberately celebrate intellectual achievement if it hopes to build a globally competitive knowledge economy.
Alausa stressed that in an era increasingly dominated by the social media-driven “attention economy”, the Federal Government considered it necessary to establish a national platform. The platform will reward creativity, scholarship, invention and commercially valuable research, particularly among young people.
The newly inaugurated Committee comprises the President, Nigerian Academy of Science, Professor Abubakar Sambo, who will be serving in the capacity of a chairman.
Others are, Professor Solomon Nwhator of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife; Professor (Mrs) Tolulope Ariyomo of the Federal University, Oye-Ekiti; Professor Francis F. Uba of the Federal University of Health Sciences, Otukpo; Dr Babangida Abubakar Albaba, representing the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) and Dr Salihu Bakari Girei representing the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund).
Others are, Professor (Mrs) Carol Arinze-Umobi of Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka; Dr (Mrs) Obianuju Anigbogu, representing Federal Ministry of Education; Mr Francis Egbokare, representing Nigerian Academy of Letters; Dr Ezinne Orisakwe, representing the National Universities Commission (NUC) and Dr Pius O. Ekireghwo, representing the National Commission for Colleges of Education (NCCE).
Also, the Secretary, Nigeria Education Repository and Databank (NERD), Mr Richard Falaye, will serve as Secretary to the Committee.
The inaugural National Laureate Awards are scheduled for November 2026. The awards will recognise the country’s finest Undergraduate Dissertations, Master’s Theses and Doctoral (PhD) Theses, alongside six thematic Excellence Awards.
The thematic categories cover Medicine and Health Sciences, Engineering and Technology, Agriculture, Law, Arts and Social Sciences as well as Teaching Innovation.
Under the approved prize structure, the winner of the Undergraduate Dissertation category will receive N35 million while the best Master’s Thesis will attract N50 million. The overall winner in the Doctoral (PhD) category will receive N100 million.
