The Federal Government has approved a ₦20 million prize for outstanding academic research and innovation under the newly established Nigeria National Laureate Annual Prize Programme.
The programme, announced by Minister of Education Dr. Maruf Olatunji Alausa, aims to recognise and reward exceptional dissertations and theses produced by students in accredited tertiary institutions. Winners will receive financial rewards ranging from ₦5 million to ₦20 million across three academic categories.
Undergraduate dissertation winners will receive a minimum of ₦5 million, master's thesis winners will receive ₦10 million, while doctoral thesis winners will be awarded ₦20 million. The programme reflects the Federal Government's commitment to positioning Nigeria as a knowledge-driven and innovation-led economy.
Dr. Alausa noted that the initiative is a deliberate effort to elevate the value of academic research and ensure that the rigour of scholarly work receives recognition comparable to other celebrated fields in society.
The Nigeria Education Repository and Databank (NERD) and its strategic partners will finance the entire lifecycle of the annual prize programme. A 10-member NERD National Laureate Prize Committee has been constituted to oversee the implementation of the initiative.
