The Federal Government has introduced a new tertiary institution national laureate award with an annual prize pool of N365 million to recognise outstanding academic research, innovation and intellectual excellence across Nigeria.
Minister of Education Tunji Alausa announced the initiative on Wednesday, saying a special award for medicine and medical innovation would be named after the late Dr Stella Adadevoh, whose actions helped prevent the 2014 Ebola outbreak from becoming a wider national crisis.
According to Alausa, the new award is designed to give exceptional students and academics greater national recognition while encouraging research that can contribute to Nigeria’s development.
He said the government believes outstanding work being carried out in universities and other tertiary institutions deserves stronger support and recognition.
N365m Prize Pool for Outstanding Research
The minister said the annual prize money would cover several categories, including undergraduate dissertations with strong commercial potential, outstanding master’s research and doctoral theses with clear industrial or developmental applications.
Special awards will also recognise achievements in areas such as engineering and technology, medicine and health sciences, agriculture, law, arts and social sciences, and teaching innovation.
The initiative is being implemented jointly by the Nigeria Education Repository and Databank (NERD) and the Federal Ministry of Education as part of President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda for the education sector.
A committee has also been established to provide oversight and help maintain the integrity of the award process.
Medical Prize Named After Stella Adadevoh
One of the special awards will be the Dr Stella Adadevoh Prize for Medicine and Medical Innovation.
Alausa said the honour recognises Adadevoh’s courage and professional sacrifice during the 2014 Ebola outbreak, particularly her role in helping prevent the disease from spreading further in Nigeria.
The minister said her legacy demonstrated the impact that knowledge, professionalism and commitment to public service can have on society.
Government Promises Merit-Based Selection
Alausa stressed that the credibility of the new award would depend on a transparent and competitive selection process.
He said the process would be based strictly on merit and protected from political, institutional or personal influence.
Students and researchers from universities, polytechnics, monotechnics and colleges of education, including private institutions, will be eligible to participate.
However, the ministry has not yet released details on the application process or how eligible students and researchers can submit their work for consideration.
Source: Federal Ministry of Education.
