FG Opens ₦365 Million Research Awards for Tertiary Students as 2026 Registration Begins
By Aboki Forex —
The Federal Government has launched the 2026 Tertiary Institutions National Laureate Programme with a ₦365 million prize pool to reward outstanding student research. Institutions now have until August 15 to submit committee members and August 31, 2026, to upload research entries.
The programme covers universities, polytechnics, colleges of education, monotechnics and military institutions. It was championed by the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, and formally announced by the Chairman of the National Laureate Committee, Emeritus Prof. Abubakar Sambo, in a July 31, 2026, letter to vice-chancellors, rectors, provosts and commandants.
How the selection process works
Participating institutions must establish Institutional Laureate Selection Committees made up of senior academics. Names of committee chairpersons, secretaries and members must be forwarded to the National Laureate Committee, according to a statement issued in Abuja by the committee's spokesperson, Ita Ekpeyong.
Professional associations are also invited to nominate experts for Regional Laureate Committees, which will assess entries before the national stage. Each institution can submit a maximum of 18 entries: six undergraduate dissertations, six master's theses and six doctoral dissertations. Equivalent categories apply to polytechnics and colleges of education.
Eligible research must fall within six broad disciplines: Agriculture; Teaching Innovation; Medicine and Health; Engineering; Science and Technology; and Law, Arts and Social Sciences.
NERD requirement and prize breakdown
Every nominated research work must first be uploaded to the Nigeria Education Repository and Databank (NERD), where it will receive a National Document Number (NDN). Prof. Sambo said this requirement safeguards research integrity while creating a permanent digital archive of Nigerian academic scholarship.
The competition will run in three stages: institutional, regional and national. Top undergraduate research will earn ₦35 million, the best master's thesis will receive ₦50 million, and the overall doctoral winner will take home ₦100 million. The programme will also give 15 thematic awards worth ₦12 million each.
Prof. Sambo urged institutions to conduct transparent internal selection exercises. Each institution's NERD Focal Officer will activate its panel on the Laureate portal to coordinate submissions.
Deadlines and expectations
The deadline for submitting names of committee members is August 15, 2026. All research entries must be uploaded by August 31, 2026.
Describing the initiative as a major investment in Nigeria's intellectual development, Sambo said the programme seeks to encourage high-quality research, reward innovation and promote scholarly work capable of driving economic growth and industrial transformation. He called on vice-chancellors and heads of institutions to provide strong leadership for a successful inaugural edition.