Tinubu government begins 2026 Tertiary Institutions National Laureate Programme

The Tertiary Institutions National Laureate Committee has formally announced the commencement of the 2026 National Laureate Programme, marking the inaugural edition of what is expected to become Nigeria’s foremost national platform for recognising outstanding student academic research, innovation and scholarly excellence across tertiary institutions. 

The launch of the Programme signals a major milestone in the Federal Government’s commitment to promoting research excellence, strengthening the nation’s knowledge economy and placing scholarship at the centre of Nigeria’s development agenda.

The National Laureate Programme, inaugurated by the Federal Government under the leadership of the Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, is designed to identify, evaluate, celebrate and reward exceptional undergraduate dissertations, master’s theses and doctoral research produced in accredited Nigerian tertiary institutions. 

Supported by an annual research prize fund of ₦365 million, the programme ranks among Nigeria’s most prestigious academic recognition initiatives and reflects the Federal Government’s determination to encourage original research, innovation and solutions capable of addressing national and global challenges. 

Beyond recognising academic excellence, the prize is intended to strengthen Nigeria’s research ecosystem by promoting innovation, encouraging the commercialisation of research outputs, supporting industrial development, inspiring future researchers and establishing scholarship as a strategic national asset.

As part of the commencement of the 2026 edition, all accredited universities, polytechnics, colleges of education, monotechnics, military institutions and other eligible tertiary institutions are requested to immediately commence internal preparations for participation. 

Every eligible institution is expected to constitute an Institutional Laureate Selection Committee made up of experienced academics with proven research records, unquestionable integrity and the capacity to conduct objective evaluations in accordance with the approved National Laureate Programme framework. 

Institutions are also required to formally submit the names and designations of the Chairman, Secretary and members of the Committee, after which the Committee will coordinate the institution’s participation in the Programme.

Following the institutional evaluation process, each participating institution is expected to nominate up to eighteen outstanding research works, comprising six undergraduate dissertations, six master’s theses, and six doctoral theses in the case of universities, or their equivalents for polytechnics, monotechnics, colleges of education, and other tertiary institutions, drawn from the six approved thematic areas, such as Agriculture, Teaching Innovation, Medicine and Health Sciences, Engineering, Science, and Technology, Law, Arts and Social Sciences. 

The Programme offers star prizes of ₦35 million for the undergraduate category, ₦50 million for the master’s category, and ₦100 million for the doctoral category. 

In addition, 15 Thematic Laureate Awards, valued at ₦12 million each, will be presented to other outstanding winners.

Institutions are reminded that every nominated research work must first be formally submitted as required under the National Policy for the Nigeria Education Repository and Databank (NERD) and assigned a valid National Document Number (NDN) before it can be considered for the National Laureate Programme. 

This requirement reinforces the Federal Government’s commitment to research integrity, proper documentation and the preservation of Nigeria’s academic output within the national knowledge infrastructure.

The Committee further reminds participating institutions that the National Laureate Programme operates a rigorous three-tier evaluation system, comprising Institutional, Regional, also referred to as Zonal, and National assessments. 

This multi-layered process has been designed to guarantee transparency, fairness, objectivity and merit in the selection of the country’s finest academic research. 

Institutions are therefore encouraged to conduct their internal assessments with the highest standards of professionalism and impartiality, recognising that only the very best research works will progress through the successive stages of evaluation.

The management of every participating institution is responsible for constituting its Institutional Laureate Selection Committee in accordance with the approved guidelines. Once constituted, the institution’s approved NERD Focal Officer (NFO) is required to designate the Committee members through NFO dashboard on NERD. 

This formal designation grants authorised members secure access to make entries, evaluate submissions and digitally manage the institution’s participation on the national Laureate Dashboard throughout the Programme.

The National Laureate Committee also calls on Nigerian professional bodies and associations to play an active role in safeguarding the integrity of the Programme by nominating distinguished scholars and subject experts for appointment into the Regional Laureate Selection Committees across the six geopolitical zones of the Federation.

 Professional bodies representing agriculture, science, engineering and technology, medicine, law, arts and social sciences, teaching, and related disciplines are encouraged to submit nominations of suitably qualified experts with established records of scholarship, peer review, integrity and professional leadership. 

Those appointed will participate in the independent regional evaluation of research submissions before the national assessment. All nominations will undergo rigorous screening based on merit, experience, integrity, diversity and conflict of interest requirements to ensure that the Programme maintains the highest standards of credibility and academic excellence.

Institutions and professional bodies are advised to conclude the selection of committee members and subject matter experts by 15 August 2026 while the submission of institutional entries will continue until the 31st of August 2026. 

It noted that submissions would include mandatory digital transmission as provided in the guideline on the National Laureate portal.

Describing the Programme as a landmark national investment in intellectual capital, the Chairman of the National Laureate Committee, Emeritus Professor Abubakar S. Sambo (OON), said the National Laureate Programme was designed to elevate academic excellence to national prominence, encourage world-class research, inspire innovation and recognise scholars whose work has the potential to transform lives, industries and the future of Nigeria. 

He encouraged every eligible institution and every relevant professional association to participate actively in ensuring the success of the inaugural edition of the Programme.

𝕤𝕖𝕖 𝕞𝕠𝕣𝕖/𝕨𝕒𝕥𝕔𝕙 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕧𝕚𝕕𝕖𝕠 𝕙𝕖𝕣𝕖