The Federal Government has introduced the 2026 National Laureate Programme to recognise exceptional research and innovation produced in Nigerian tertiary institutions.
The programme covers undergraduate dissertations, master’s theses and doctoral research from accredited universities, polytechnics, colleges of education, monotechnics, military institutions and other eligible tertiary institutions.
Details were published by the National Universities Commission on 4 September 2026, following an announcement by the Tertiary Institutions National Laureate Committee.
However, this is not an open scholarship application through which individual students can submit their projects directly.
Participating institutions are expected to assess eligible research internally and nominate their strongest entries.
Prize categories
According to the NUC announcement, prizes under the programme include:
- ?35 million for the undergraduate category.
- ?50 million for the master’s category.
- ?100 million for the doctoral category.
- Fifteen thematic awards worth ?12 million each for other outstanding researchers.
The programme is reportedly supported by an annual research prize fund of ?365 million.
Students should not interpret these figures as general grants available to everyone who submits a project. They are competitive prizes for research selected through the approved assessment process.
Research areas covered
Research entries will be considered across six broad thematic areas:
- Agriculture.
- Teaching innovation.
- Medicine and health sciences.
- Engineering.
- Science and technology.
- Law.
- Arts and social sciences.
Although the NUC announcement refers to six thematic areas, some subjects are grouped together within the published list.
The coverage means that research from many NOUN faculties could potentially be relevant if the university participates and nominates entries.
How university nominations work
Each participating university is expected to nominate up to 18 research works:
- Six undergraduate dissertations.
- Six master’s theses.
- Six doctoral theses.
Universities must first establish an Institutional Laureate Selection Committee consisting of experienced academics.
That committee is responsible for assessing submitted research and selecting the institution’s strongest entries.
Students cannot bypass this institutional stage by sending their projects directly to the national committee.
Mandatory repository registration
Every nominated research work must first be submitted to the Nigeria Education Repository and Databank.
The work must also receive a valid National Document Number before it can qualify for consideration.
According to the committee, this requirement is intended to:
- Improve research documentation.
- Preserve Nigerian academic output.
- Strengthen research integrity.
- Support the verification of submitted work.
- Create a traceable national knowledge record.
This makes originality, accurate referencing and verifiable authorship especially important.
Three stages of assessment
The programme will use a three-stage evaluation process:
- Institutional assessment.
- Regional assessment.
- National assessment.
Only highly rated research that passes the earlier assessment stages will progress to national consideration.
The committee says this structure is intended to promote fairness, transparency and merit.
Can NOUN students participate?
NOUN is an accredited Nigerian tertiary institution, and the programme covers undergraduate, master’s and doctoral research from eligible institutions nationwide.
This means NOUN research could potentially be considered if the university participated in the programme and completed the required internal nomination process.
However, the NUC announcement does not publish:
- A NOUN selection committee.
- NOUN-specific submission instructions.
- A list of nominated NOUN research.
- A student application portal.
- Confirmation that NOUN submitted entries for the 2026 edition.
NOUN students should therefore not send their projects to an unofficial person claiming to coordinate the programme.
Important issue with the published dates
The NUC page was published on 4 September 2026, but it states that:
- Institutions and professional associations had until 15 August 2026 to constitute committees and nominate experts.
- Institutional research submissions remained open until 31 August 2026.
Both dates had already passed when the NUC published the announcement online.
For this reason, the 2026 programme should not be promoted as a currently open individual opportunity.
Students should wait for an official extension, corrected timetable or announcement of a future edition.
What students should do
Although the stated submission period has passed, students preparing dissertations and theses can learn from the programme’s requirements.
Researchers should:
- Produce original work.
- Keep clear records of their research process.
- Use reliable and properly cited sources.
- Retain drafts and supervisor feedback.
- Avoid fabricated data and references.
- Check quotations and bibliography entries.
- Obtain appropriate research approvals.
- Use similarity checking as a quality-control measure.
- Confirm that their submitted version matches the work they actually completed.
- Ask their institution whether a future nomination process will be available.
Students whose research was completed before the announced selection period may contact their faculty or postgraduate school for clarification, but should not assume that late submissions will be accepted.
Research-integrity warning
The repository and National Document Number requirements make false authorship and recycled research particularly risky.
Students should not:
- Purchase a completed thesis and present it as their own.
- Copy another student’s project.
- Fabricate questionnaire responses or laboratory results.
- Include references that do not exist.
- Pay someone to guarantee institutional nomination.
- Submit the same work under different names.
- Alter supervisor endorsements.
- Share passwords or private repository credentials.
- Believe an agent promising a national award.
Research support should assist students with learning, methodology, editing, formatting and proper citation—not replace the student as the author.
Information not confirmed
The official announcement does not provide:
- A direct student-application portal.
- A revised deadline.
- NOUN-specific instructions.
- A list of participating universities.
- The date winners will be announced.
- Payment procedures.
- Complete judging criteria.
- Permission for agents to submit research.
- A route for late individual applications.
These details should not be invented or inferred from social-media posts.
What happens next?
Participating institutions are expected to complete their internal selection before research progresses to regional and national assessment.
Students and researchers should monitor official announcements for:
- A corrected or extended submission timetable.
- Confirmation of participating institutions.
- Regional assessment arrangements.
- The list of finalists.
- Award results.
- Information about a future programme cycle.
NOUN Update will update this report if NOUN announces participation or the National Laureate Committee releases new instructions.
