FG Opens Applications for ₦365 Million National Laureate Prize to Reward Top Student Researchers

There’s now a new national platform putting Nigeria’s brightest student researchers and innovators in the spotlight, and there is ₦365 million in annual prize money attached to it.

The Federal Ministry of Education has announced the opening of the Tertiary Institutions National Laureate Prize, a new initiative designed to recognise and reward outstanding research, innovation and intellectual excellence across Nigeria’s universities, polytechnics and colleges of education.

Announcing the prize on Thursday, Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, said the initiative is part of the government’s efforts to support student excellence and give exceptional academic work the recognition and reward it deserves.

And the prize pool is significant. The Undergraduate Star Prize is worth ₦35 million, while the Master’s Star Prize carries ₦50 million and the Doctoral Star Prize is worth ₦100 million. Another ₦180 million will be shared across 15 Thematic Excellence Prizes, with each recipient receiving ₦12 million.

That means students and researchers whose work stands out have more than academic recognition to look forward to. The programme is designed to create a national platform where research and ideas with real potential can receive both visibility and meaningful support.

The prize is open to students and researchers across every accredited tertiary institution in Nigeria, making it a nationwide opportunity rather than one limited to a particular university or region.

The awards will recognise work across key areas including Engineering and Technology, Medicine and Health Sciences, Arts and Social Sciences, Agriculture, Law and Teaching…