The Advisory Board of The Nigeria Prize for Science has announced that no winner will emerge for the 2025 edition of the award following the judges’ dissatisfaction with the overall quality of entries received.
Speaking at a press briefing in Lagos, the Chairman of the Advisory Board, Professor Barth Nnaji, disclosed that after a rigorous adjudication of the 112 entries submitted this year, none was found suitable for the prize. He explained that the decision, though difficult, underscored the board’s commitment to upholding the integrity of the selection process and protecting the reputation of the prestigious award.
According to him, the Nigeria Prize for Science is not just about rewarding scientific output, but also about safeguarding the values of creativity, originality, and rigor that define truly outstanding work. “To lower the bar would be to betray the trust of the public and diminish the legacy of the prize itself,” he said.
Nnaji commended the courage and dedication of all who submitted entries, stressing that excellence goes beyond effort, requiring innovation, mastery of craft, and the ability to leave a lasting mark on human thought and development. He called on Nigerian scientists, researchers, and innovators to be inspired by the judges’ verdict to strive harder in subsequent editions.
“This outcome is not unprecedented. In previous years, 2005, 2007, between 2011 and 2016, and again in 2021 the Nigeria Prize for Science was not awarded,” he noted.
He further urged Nigerian scientists not to be discouraged, but to recognize that the high bar set for the prize reinforces its commitment to scientific innovation and excellence.
The Advisory Board also announced that the 2025 theme, “Innovations in ICT, Artificial Intelligence (AI), and Digital Technologies for Development,” will be repeated for the 2026 edition to attract a wider spectrum of innovators, especially in the fast-evolving field of Artificial Intelligence.
The panel of judges for the prize includes Dr. Omobola Johnson, Senior Partner at TLcom Capital and former Minister of Communication Technology; Prof. Collins Udanor, an Associate Professor of Computer Science (AI) at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka; and Prof. Aminu Muhammad Bui of the Department of Computer Science, Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto, who specializes in AI, decision support systems, and data mining.
Now in its 21st year, the Nigeria Prize for Science, which opened for entries in February, received a total of 112 submissions in the 2025 cycle.
