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In what education stakeholders are describing 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 ₦365 million.

The Committee was inaugurated by the Honourable Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, CON, at the Digital Resource Centre of the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC). It will oversee the implementation of the National Laureate Programme, a flagship initiative designed to elevate academic excellence to the highest level of national recognition while promoting research commercialisation and innovation across Nigeria’s accredited post-secondary and tertiary institutions.

Speaking at the inauguration, 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 said the initiative seeks to inspire a new generation of young Nigerians to pursue research capable of solving real-world problems, creating new industries and strengthening the nation’s global competitiveness.

“The future prosperity of nations will increasingly depend on their ability to convert knowledge into economic value,” the Minister said. He noted that Nigeria must deliberately celebrate intellectual achievement if it hopes to build a globally competitive knowledge economy.

Alausa observed 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 following members:

Professor Abubakar Sambo, OON, President of the Nigerian Academy of Science, as Chairman; 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); Dr Salihu Bakari Girei, representing TETFund; Professor (Mrs.) Carol Arinze-Umobi of Nnamdi Azikiwe University; Dr (Mrs.) Obianuju Anigbogu, representing the Federal Ministry of Education; Mr. Francis Egbokare, representing the 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).

Mr Richard Falaye, Secretary of the Nigeria Education Repository and Databank (NERD), 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, and Teaching Innovation.

Under the approved prize structure, the winner of the Undergraduate Dissertation category will receive ₦35 million, while the best Master’s Thesis will attract ₦50 million. The overall winner in the Doctoral (PhD) category will receive ₦100 million.

In addition, six National Laureate Excellence Awards, each valued at ₦30 million, will be presented annually. This brings the programme’s total prize pool to approximately ₦365 million.

The Minister also announced the establishment of the Dr Stella Adadevoh Excellence Award in Medicine and Medical Innovation. The award, one of the programme’s special awards, honours the late physician whose leadership during the 2014 Ebola outbreak helped prevent a national public health catastrophe.

He further directed the Committee to conclude its work on eligibility requirements, evaluation procedures and institutional engagement in good time. This is to ensure the successful hosting of the inaugural National Laureate Awards in November.

Dr Alausa also used the occasion to commend Engr Olatunji Ariyomo, Chairman of NERD, for his innovative contributions towards transformative interventions within Nigeria’s education sector.

Responding on behalf of the Committee, its Chairman, Emeritus Professor Abubakar Sambo,, described the initiative as a historic turning point in the nation’s education policy. He praised President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration for placing academic excellence and research at the centre of national development.

Professor Sambo pledged that the Committee would uphold the highest standards of transparency, fairness and merit throughout the selection process. He commended Dr Alausa for leading a national revolution to reward and promote innovation and its commercialisation.

He assured the Minister that every eligible student, irrespective of institution or geographical location, would have an equal opportunity to attain National Laureate status. The process, he said, would be insulated from institutional favouritism and other extraneous considerations.

Education analysts say the National Laureate Programme could become one of the most consequential reforms in Nigeria’s tertiary education landscape if successfully implemented. Beyond its substantial prize fund, they argue that the initiative signals a shift in national priorities — from prioritizing social media celebrity culture to deliberately recognising ideas, discoveries and innovations capable of driving economic transformation.

The programme is expected to deepen collaboration between universities, polytechnics, colleges of education, industry and government. It will also create stronger incentives for commercially viable research and position Nigeria to compete more effectively within the global knowledge economy.