The Federal Government of Nigeria has unveiled a ₦365 million annual prize fund for the Tertiary Institutions National Laureate Programme (TINLP), an initiative aimed at rewarding outstanding student research and promoting innovation in Nigeria’s higher education system.
Speaking at a press briefing in Abuja on Wednesday, August 26, 2026, the Honourable Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Olatunji Alausa, described the programme as a strategic national intervention designed to promote scholarly excellence and transform tertiary institutions into hubs of innovation.
The Minister said the initiative marks a new era in which student research would no longer be viewed merely as a requirement for graduation, but as a potential blueprint for national industrialisation.
He noted that while celebrating social influencers has become popular, such recognition should not come at the expense of local inventors and innovators.
“By elevating our students to the status of celebrated National Laureates, we are ensuring that the rigour of research is matched with the highest level of national prestige,” Alausa stated.
Under the National Laureate Prize, successful researchers will receive substantial cash rewards across three academic categories. A Doctoral (Ph.D.) Thesis will attract ₦20 million, a Master’s Thesis ₦10 million, while an Undergraduate Dissertation will receive ₦5 million.
The Minister confirmed that the annual programme is funded entirely by the Nigeria Education Repository and Databank (NERD) and its partners, ensuring that the initiative does not impose any additional fiscal burden on the government.
A 10-member implementation committee, chaired by Professor Abubakar Sambo, is responsible for overseeing the evaluation and selection process.
Dr. Alausa also linked the research initiative to broader education reforms under President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
He announced the suspension of the Bilateral Education Agreement (BEA) scholarship scheme, which has traditionally sponsored Nigerian students to study overseas in disciplines that are readily available in the country, including Mass Communication and Psychology.
The Minister argued that Nigeria has developed significant domestic capacity in higher education over the past two decades. He said the government would instead redirect resources towards improving infrastructure, laboratories and research capacity in local universities, polytechnics and colleges of education.
According to him, eligible tertiary institutions across Nigeria have already been directed to establish internal selection committees to process entries for the current cycle of the National Laureate research awards.
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