The Federal Government of Nigeria has inaugurated a ₦365 million annual National Laureate Programme to recognise outstanding academic research and innovation across tertiary institutions, with the maiden awards ceremony scheduled for November 2026.

Minister of Education Dr Tunji Alausa inaugurated the Tertiary Institutions National Laureate Committee in Abuja on Tuesday, describing the initiative as a strategic intervention designed to give academic excellence the same national recognition accorded to achievements in other sectors of Nigerian life.

"At a time when public attention is increasingly dominated by social media influencers, the National Laureate Programme represents a deliberate investment in Nigeria's intellectual capital and demonstrates the federal government's renewed commitment to celebrating knowledge, creativity, innovation and research driven development," Alausa said.

He directed the committee to develop transparent eligibility criteria, communicate approved guidelines to tertiary institutions nationwide, and complete all preparatory work ahead of the inaugural ceremony.

The programme's annual prize pool includes ₦35 million for the best undergraduate dissertation, ₦50 million for the best Master's thesis, and ₦100 million for the best Doctoral thesis. Six National Laureate Excellence Awards valued at ₦30 million each will also be presented annually in Medicine and Health Sciences, Engineering and Technology, Agriculture, Law, Arts and Social Sciences, and Teaching Innovation, bringing the total value of special awards to ₦180 million per year.

Alausa announced the establishment of the Dr Stella Adadevoh Excellence Award in Medicine and Medical Innovation, named in honour of the late physician whose intervention helped contain the Ebola virus in Nigeria in 2014, noting that other excellence awards may, in exceptional circumstances, be named after distinguished Nigerians who exemplified extraordinary national service.

The committee is chaired by Emeritus Prof. Abubakar Sambo, President of the Nigerian Academy of Science. Its membership draws from the National Universities Commission, TETFund, the National Board for Technical Education, the National Commission for Colleges of Education, the Nigerian Academy of Letters, the Federal Ministry of Education, and several tertiary institutions, including Obafemi Awolowo University, Federal University Oye Ekiti, and Nnamdi Azikiwe University.

Responding on behalf of the committee, Sambo assured the minister that the selection process would be transparent, merit based and nationally inclusive, free from institutional favouritism.

"Every deserving student across Nigeria's accredited post secondary and tertiary institutions has an equal opportunity to attain National Laureate status," he said.

According to committee spokesperson Mr Ita Ekpenyong, the committee has been mandated to develop award criteria aligned with international best practices, oversee independent adjudication, manage the annual prize fund and safeguard the integrity and credibility of the programme.