The Federal Government has launched the 2026 National Laureate Programme to recognize and reward outstanding academic research and innovation produced by researchers in Nigerian tertiary institutions. The programme is designed to honour excellence across the country’s universities, polytechnics, and other tertiary schools.
According to reports, the initiative includes a research prize fund of ₦365 million. The funds are set aside for annual prizes for selected laureates, with the stated purpose of encouraging high-quality scholarship and practical innovation. The programme is framed as a national effort to support research outputs and highlight achievements by scholars in Nigerian tertiary institutions.
The Punch reports that the government has begun the programme for 2026, while Legit.ng adds details on the size of the prize fund and emphasizes that it covers research across all tertiary institutions. Both accounts describe the launch as part of a broader effort to incentivize academic and research productivity.
