Nigerian Students to Win Up to ₦100 Million as FG Opens ₦365m National Research Competition
- The FG has launched the 2026 Tertiary Institutions National Laureate Programme with a ₦365 million prize pool
- to reward outstanding student research across Nigerian tertiary institutions.
- The programme will recognise the best undergraduate, master's and doctoral research, with cash prizes
- Tertiary institutions must submit committee members by August 15 and research entries by August 31, 2026
PAY ATTENTION: Find it fast with our new search feature at Legit.ng!
The Federal Government has unveiled the 2026 edition of the Tertiary Institutions National Laureate Programme (TINLP), introducing a ₦365 million prize fund to reward exceptional research by students across Nigeria's higher institutions.
The initiative, championed by the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, is designed to recognise outstanding undergraduate projects, master's theses and doctoral dissertations from universities, polytechnics, colleges of education, monotechnics and military institutions.
Source: UGC
The programme was formally announced by the Chairman of the National Laureate Committee, Emeritus Prof. Abubakar Sambo, in a July 31, 2026, letter sent to vice-chancellors, rectors, provosts and commandants. Details were contained in a statement issued in Abuja by the committee's spokesperson, Ita Ekpeyong.
Institutions to screen and nominate best research
As part of the selection process, all participating institutions have been directed to establish Institutional Laureate Selection Committees made up of senior academics. The names of committee chairpersons, secretaries and members must be forwarded to the National Laureate Committee.
Professional associations have also been invited to nominate experts who will serve on Regional Laureate Committees responsible for assessing entries before the national stage.
Each institution is permitted to submit a maximum of 18 entries, including six undergraduate dissertations, six master's theses and six doctoral dissertations. Equivalent research categories will apply to polytechnics and colleges of education.
Eligible submissions must fall within six broad disciplines: Agriculture; Teaching Innovation; Medicine and Health; Engineering; Science and Technology; and Law, Arts and Social Sciences.
To qualify for assessment, 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). According to Prof. Sambo, this requirement is aimed at safeguarding research integrity while creating a permanent digital archive of Nigerian academic scholarship.
Winners to receive up to ₦100 million
The competition will be conducted in three stages—institutional, regional and national—to ensure fairness and credibility.
Top-performing undergraduate research will earn a ₦35 million prize, while the best master's thesis will receive ₦50 million. The overall winner in the doctoral category will take home ₦100 million.
In addition, the programme will recognise excellence across disciplines through 15 thematic awards worth ₦12 million each.
Prof. Sambo urged institutions to conduct transparent internal selection exercises, noting that each institution's NERD Focal Officer will activate its panel on the Laureate portal to coordinate submissions.
The deadline for submitting the names of committee members is August 15, 2026, while all research entries must be uploaded by August 31, 2026.
Source: UGC
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 also called on vice-chancellors and heads of tertiary institutions to provide strong leadership to ensure the successful implementation of the programme's inaugural edition.
Source: Legit.ng
