The federal government has directed universities, polytechnics, colleges of education, monotechnics, military institutions and other eligible tertiary institutions nationwide to immediately constitute institutional laureate selection committees as the National Laureate Programme advances towards its inaugural edition.

The directive was signed by National Laureate Committee Chairman Emeritus Prof. Abubakar Sambo and addressed to vice chancellors, rectors, provosts, commandants and heads of tertiary institutions across the country. Institutions were informed that every nominated research work must first be uploaded to the Nigeria Education Repository and Databank and assigned a valid National Document Number before it qualifies for consideration.

Each participating institution must establish a selection committee comprising experienced academics with proven research credentials and high ethical standards, and formally submit the names and designations of its chairman, secretary and members as part of the implementation process. A dedicated dashboard activated by each institution's approved Nigeria Education Repository and Databank focal officer will enable authorised committee members to manage submissions electronically.

Nominations are open across six thematic areas: Agriculture, Teaching Innovation, Medicine and Health Sciences, Engineering, Science and Technology, and Law, Arts and Social Sciences. Each university may forward up to 18 research works comprising six undergraduate dissertations, six master's theses and six doctoral theses, with equivalent submissions accepted from polytechnics, monotechnics, colleges of education and other eligible institutions.

Professional associations across the six thematic areas will nominate subject matter experts to serve on Regional Laureate Selection Committees responsible for evaluating entries beyond the institutional level. Winners will emerge through a three stage process covering institutional assessments, regional evaluations and final national adjudication, structured to guarantee fairness, transparency and merit.

Star prizes stand at ₦35 million for the undergraduate category, ₦50 million for the master's category and ₦100 million for the doctoral category, with 15 Thematic Laureate Awards of ₦12 million each available to other outstanding researchers.

Sambo urged institution heads to provide the leadership required for a successful inaugural edition. The deadline for committee constitution and submission of member names is 15 August 2026, while research entries must be submitted no later than 31 August through the National Laureate portal.