Ofure Akhigbe
The Advisory Board of the Nigeria Prize for Science, sponsored by the Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas Limited (NLNG), on Wednesday, September 24, 2025, announced that no winner emerged in this year’s edition of the prestigious award.
The Board, chaired by former Minister of Power, Professor Barth Nnaji, said the decision followed the judges’ dissatisfaction with the overall quality of entries submitted. Out of 112 submissions received under the theme “Innovations in ICT, Artificial Intelligence (AI), and Digital Technologies for Development,” four finalists were shortlisted, but none was found worthy of the $100,000 prize.
Professor Nnaji explained at a press conference in Lagos that the integrity of the award must be upheld, stressing that lowering the standard would betray public trust. He urged scientists and innovators to view the decision as a call to raise the bar of research and innovation, particularly in fields critical to Nigeria’s development.
This is not the first time the Prize has gone without a winner. Similar outcomes were recorded in 2005, 2007, between 2011 and 2016, and in 2021. The Advisory Board further disclosed that the same theme would be retained for the 2026 edition to encourage deeper research and more impactful submissions.
The Nigeria Prize for Science, instituted in 2004, is one of the continent’s most respected scientific awards and is open to innovators and researchers worldwide.
