Nigeria Prize for Science Withheld for 2025 as Entries Fall Short of Standards

(L-R) Anne-Marie Palmer-Ikuku, Manager, Corporate Communications & Public Affairs; Dr. Sophia Horsfall, GM, External Relations & Sustainable Development; Prof. Barth Nnaji, Chairman, Advisory Board, The Nigerian Prize for Science; Prof Yusuf Abubakar; and Dr. Nike Akande, Board Members at the press conference on the 2025 science prize outcome in Lagos on Wednesday.



The Advisory Board of The Nigeria Prize for Science has declined to award the 2025 edition, stating that none of the 112 entries submitted met the standards required for the $100,000 award.


The Chairman of the Board, Professor Barth Nnaji, told journalists in Lagos that while the entries reflected effort and commitment, they lacked the creativity, originality, and scientific rigour expected of the prestigious Prize. 


He stressed that lowering the bar would diminish the legacy of the award, urging scientists and researchers to view the decision as a call to aim higher.


The Board announced that the 2025 theme, “Innovations in ICT, Artificial Intelligence (AI), and Digital Technologies for Development”, will be repeated in 2026 to attract a wider range of innovators. 


The panel of judges was chaired by Dr. Omobola Johnson, Senior Partner at TLcom Capital and former Minister of Communication Technology, with members including Prof. Collins Udanor of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, and Prof. Aminu Muhammad Bui of Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto.


NLNG’s General Manager, External Relations and Sustainable Development, Dr. Sophia Horsfall, reaffirmed the company’s commitment to advancing science and innovation through its sponsorship of the Prize. 


Horsfall said the competition remains a platform for promoting excellence and inspiring homegrown solutions to Nigeria’s challenges.


NLNG’s Manager of Corporate Communications and Public Affairs, Anne-Marie Palmer-Ikuku, also praised the scientists who submitted entries, describing their contributions as vital to sustaining inquiry despite the absence of a winner. 


She commended the Advisory Board and judges for safeguarding the credibility of the Prize and urged Nigerian researchers to be motivated to reach higher standards.


Now in its 21st year, the Nigeria Prize for Science has previously withheld awards in 2005, 2007, between 2011 and 2016, and in 2021.



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