- Judges ruled that none of the 112 submissions met the originality, impact, and excellence required for the $100,000 prize.
- The Advisory Board will retain the 2025 theme, “Innovations in ICT, Artificial Intelligence (AI), and Digital Technologies for Development”, for the 2026 edition.
Tolu Longe, Head Process Control at Nigeria LNG Limited, has described the ‘No Winner’ Verdict for the Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG)-sponsored Nigeria Prize for Science as a ‘Wake-Up Call’.
Her comment follows the decision of the Advisory Board of the NLNG-sponsored Nigeria Prize for Science on Wednesday, October 1, which declared no winner for the 2025 edition. The judges ruled that none of the 112 submissions met the required originality, impact, and excellence standards.
Now in its 21st year, the competition was themed “Innovations in ICT, Artificial Intelligence (AI), and Digital Technologies for Development.” After a rigorous review process, the judges shortlisted four finalists but concluded that none of the works deserved the $100,000 prize.
Professor Barth Nnaji, Chairman of the advisory Board, defended the decision at a press briefing in Lagos. He said the Board would not compromise the integrity of the prize or lower its standards.
“To lower the bar would be to betray the public’s trust and diminish the legacy of the Prize itself,” Nnaji stated. He praised participants’ dedication but stressed that true excellence required creativity, innovation, and mastery that could transform scientific discourse.
Furthermore, the Board announced that it would repeat the 2025 theme for the 2026 edition to attract a broader range of innovators in AI and digital technologies. The panel of judges included Dr Omobola Johnson, Senior Partner at TLcom Capital and former Minister of Communication Technology; Prof. Collins Udanor, Associate Professor of Computer Science at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka; and Prof. Aminu Muhammad Bui of Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto.
This outcome is not unprecedented. The Board also withheld the award in 2005, 2007, 2011-2016, and again in 2021.
On LinkedIn, Longe described the decision as courageous and alarming. She wrote, “Excellence should not be watered down. We must uphold standards. But where are the groundbreaking innovations Nigeria should showcase to the world? At a time when the world races ahead with AI, biotech, clean energy, and space exploration, we can’t afford to sit this one out.”
Longe insisted that Nigerians must not view the decision as a failure but as a call to action for governments, industries, academia, and young innovators. She added, “The ‘no winner’ verdict doesn’t represent failure. It wakes us up. Excellence is non-negotiable. But we must also cultivate excellence.”
Since its inception in 2004, the Nigeria Prize for Science has stood as Africa’s most valuable science prize, promoting creativity and innovation that tackle national and global challenges. The prize previously recorded no-winner outcomes in 2005, 2007, 2011–2016, and 2021.