Impressive students and scientists in Nigerian tertiary institutions now have an opportunity to contend for a share of a 365 million yearly prize swimming pool under a new Federal government initiative aimed at acknowledging research with the possible to solve real-world issues.
The Tertiary Institutions National Laureate Reward is open to eligible scientists throughout universities, polytechnics, monotechnics and colleges of education, with awards covering undergraduate, master’s and doctoral research.
The Minister of Education, Dr Maruf Tunji Alausa, announced the opening of the scheme on Thursday throughout a press rundown including the Nigeria Education Repository and Databank (NERD) National Laureate team.
According to the minister, the initiative becomes part of the Federal government’s effort to rearrange tertiary institutions as centres of research, development, entrepreneurship and analytical.
Instead of focusing solely on the production of graduates and certificates, the scheme is designed to recognise research that can contribute to nationwide advancement, industry and economic development.
How the 365m reward will be shared
The prize has actually been divided into three significant Star Prizes and 15 thematic awards across 6 locations of academic research study.
The greatest award at the undergraduate level is the Undergraduate Star Prize of 35 million, while the Master’s Star Prize deserves 50 million.
At the doctoral level, the Doctoral Star Reward carries 100 million, making it the largest specific award under the scheme.
In addition to the three Star Prizes, 15 scientists will get 12 million each under the Thematic Quality Reward classification. Jointly, these awards account for another 180 million.
The competitors covers 6 broad areas: Science, Engineering and Technology; Medicine and Health Sciences; Arts and Social Sciences; Agriculture; Law; and Teaching Development.
At each of the undergraduate, master’s and doctoral levels, one nationwide laureate can emerge in each thematic location. This develops 18 national laureates altogether, with three receiving the major Star Prizes and the staying 15 receiving the thematic awards.
There is also a special award in honour of the late Nigerian doctor, Dr Stella Adadevoh, whose definitive role throughout the 2014 Ebola break out became extensively identified as an example of nerve and public service.
The Dr Stella Adadevoh Prize for Medicine and Medical Development will acknowledge a laureate whose research and conduct demonstrate integrity, dedication to national service and security of the general public.
Who can complete for the prize?
The competition is open to students and researchers from certified tertiary institutions throughout Nigeria, regardless of whether the organization is federal, state-owned or independently owned.
Undergraduate tasks and dissertations, master’s theses and doctoral theses can be thought about, consisting of recognised equivalents from polytechnics, monotechnics and colleges of education.
However, producing a lengthy scholastic project alone will not be enough. The research study needs to demonstrate qualities such as commercial capacity, commercial effectiveness or the capability to make a significant contribution to development.
This suggests trainees intending to contend need to believe beyond just completing a job for graduation. Research that recognizes a genuine problem and provides a practical, ingenious and potentially scalable solution could be much better positioned for consideration.
Creativity and research study stability are also important requirements. Trainees should guarantee that their work is really their own and fulfills the anticipated scholastic and ethical standards.
Another crucial requirement is registration with the Nigeria Education Repository and Databank.
Qualified research needs to first be deposited on the NERD system and appointed a valid National Document Number (NDN). The NDN acts as verification that the research has actually been deposited in the repository.
However, students ought to comprehend that acquiring an NDN does not immediately indicate that the work has actually been entered into the National Laureate competitors.
Students can not apply directly
Among the most important things trainees need to understand is that they can not personally submit their research study to the National Laureate competition.
Entries should come through the trainee’s organization.
Each taking part organization is expected to develop an Organization Laureate Selection Committee, which will recognize and select the greatest research study tasks from among eligible trainees and scientists.
An organization can send a maximum of 18 entries, consisting of approximately six undergraduate, six master’s and 6 doctoral entries or recognised equivalents, with selections drawn from the six thematic locations.
This makes the institutional choice stage particularly crucial.
Trainees who think their tasks have the potential to compete must therefore ensure that their managers and relevant academic authorities understand the quality and possible impact of their work.
A student might have an innovative research study task, however if it is not considered by the institution’s selection committee, it can not advance to the next stage of the competition.
Trainees should therefore discuss their research study with their supervisors, heads of department and other scholastic leaders and make a strong case for why the work is worthy of factor to consider.
Research that resolves a plainly defined Nigerian problem, provides a useful service and shows potential for wider application could have a more powerful case during institutional screening.
Read also:
FG Reviews Foreign Scholarship Programmes, Prioritises Nigerian Tertiary Institutions
FG Reveals N20 Million National Laureate Prize to Reward Top Student Scientists
How institutions will send entries
Once an institution’s Laureate Selection Committee has actually identified the research study works it wishes to nominate, authorised committee members will complete the submission through the National Laureate website.
The process starts with the organization’s committee being properly made up and its designated members being formally designated through geek by the organization’s geek Focal Officer.
After receiving the necessary classification, committee members can utilize their existing NERD credentials to access the Laureate website.
From the Laureate Dashboard, the committee will select the alternative to handle institutional entries. The system will then display eligible argumentations, jobs and theses associated with the institution and arrange them according to their academic levels.
Committee members can utilize the readily available search and filtering functions to locate particular research works.
Before sending an entry, the committee is expected to examine the submission information and confirm that the details provided is precise.
The committee must likewise review the evidence connected to the research and confirm that the required departmental and institutional attestations have actually been provided.
Another important phase includes opening the reliable student file. This allows the committee to take a look at the specific PDF variation of the dissertation, project or thesis that was initially submitted.
If the documentation is complete and acceptable, the committee can proceed with the formal statement needed for submission. Members need to tick the relevant oath or statement box after carefully evaluating its contents before submitting the entry.
Once the Submit Entry alternative is chosen, the research study ends up being an institutional entry in the competitors.
Deadline for entries
Organizations taking part in the competitors have up until August 31, 2026, to complete their submissions.
This due date makes early preparation essential for students whose work might be considered. Waiting until the last days might create troubles if research study files, NERD records, attestations or institutional approvals are insufficient.
Trainees who believe their work is worthy of consideration ought to therefore engage their managers and scholastic departments early enough for the essential institutional processes to occur.
The duty for last submission, nevertheless, rests with the institution’s authorised Laureate Selection Committee instead of individual students.
What happens after submission?
Research works that make it through the institutional phase will proceed through more levels of evaluation.
The competitors utilizes a three-stage evaluation structure involving the Institution Committee, Regional or Zonal Committee and National Committee.
The final assessment will be supervised by the National Laureate Committee, chaired by Emeritus Teacher Abubakar Sambo.
The multi-level structure is meant to make sure that research study is examined beyond the organization where it was produced which the eventual winners are chosen through a competitive and merit-based process.
Academic quality will be necessary, however the effort also positions significant emphasis on the practical worth and impact of research study.
For trainees, this means that a job must not merely demonstrate that they comprehend a topic. It must preferably show how their findings, innovation, innovation or proposed option could be helpful beyond the classroom.
Research study efficient in dealing with difficulties in areas such as health care, farming, innovation, education, law, industry or social advancement might therefore fit strongly within the objectives of the plan, depending on the quality and significance of the work.
The Federal government has suggested that successful laureates will be commemorated at a National Laureate Gala later on in the year, with November previously discussed as the anticipated duration for the event.
For Nigerian trainees and scientists, the effort offers more than the possibility of winning considerable financial benefits. It likewise provides an opportunity to have impressive academic work acknowledged at nationwide level and potentially connect research study produced in tertiary institutions with larger development and market requirements.
The central message for trainees is clear: a job sent simply to make a certificate is various from research efficient in solving a real issue. Under the National Laureate Reward, the latter is what the federal government is seeking to recognise.