The Nigerian Minister for Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, has announced the opening of the Tertiary Institutions National Laureate Prize. Taking the news to his X handle, he said the Prize is a new national platform to celebrate and reward outstanding research, innovation and intellectual excellence across our universities, polytechnics and colleges of education.

According to the Minister, the Prize was finalised at a press briefing alongside members of the Nigeria Education Repository and Databank (NERD) National Laureate team, where its vision and structure were outlined.

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.

Backed by an initial annual prize fund of ₦365 million, the National Laureate Prize will award ₦35 million for the Undergraduate Star Prize, ₦50 million for the Master’s Star Prize and ₦100 million for the Doctoral Star Prize, alongside ₦180 million for 15 Thematic Excellence Prizes, valued at ₦12 million each.

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.

He also added that at the meeting, the Dr. Stella Adadevoh Prize for Medicine and Medical Innovation was established, a special award in honour of Dr Adadevoh’s extraordinary courage and contribution to our nation.

Jointly implemented by the Federal Ministry of Education and NERD, the Prize will operate through a transparent, competitive and merit-driven process that puts academic excellence and impact first.

Details of how to apply and eligibility, as well the requirements will be shared soon.

Author

Paul Olayioye