By JUMOKE OLAITAN

‎The Federal Government has inaugurated the Tertiary Institutions National Laureate Committee to drive academic excellence, research, innovation and research commercialisation across Nigeria’s tertiary education sector.

‎The Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, while inaugurating the committee on Tuesday in Abuja, said the national laureate was designed to reposition academic excellence as a national priority.

Alausa also announced that the programme would provide an annual prize pool of about N365 million, making it one of Africa’s largest publicly funded academic recognition initiatives.

He said that the programme was also designed to recognise outstanding scholars, researchers, innovators and inventors.

‎Alausa said the initiative would inspire young Nigerians to pursue research and innovation capable of addressing national challenges and enhancing economic competitiveness.

‎According to him, the programme seeks to elevate scholarly achievements to the same national prominence accorded to excellence in other sectors.

‎”The National Laureate Programme is a strategic intervention aimed at transforming Nigeria’s reward system by recognising and celebrating scholarly excellence.

‎”It is designed to inspire a new generation of young researchers, innovators, inventors and problem-solvers whose work will contribute directly to national development,” he said.

‎The minister said the committee would develop transparent award criteria in line with international best practices.

He added that the committee would also oversee an independent adjudication process, manage the annual prize fund and promote outstanding Nigerian research.

‎He said the committee was also expected to safeguard the integrity, credibility and prestige of the National Laureate Programme.

Alausa further said that the ‎awards would recognise the best undergraduate dissertation, master’s thesis and doctoral (PhD) thesis.

According to him, it will also confer six National Laureate Excellence Awards in Medicine and Health Sciences, Engineering and Technology, Agriculture, Law, Arts and Social Sciences, and Teaching Innovation.

‎The minister also announced the establishment of the Dr Stella Adadevoh Excellence Award in Medicine and Medical Innovation, named in honour of the late physician whose intervention helped prevent the spread of the Ebola virus in Nigeria in 2014.

‎He directed the committee to develop and communicate the eligibility criteria to tertiary institutions nationwide ahead of the maiden National Laureate Awards scheduled for November.

‎Responding on behalf of the committee, Chairman, Emeritus Prof. Abubakar Sambo, assured the minister that the selection process would be transparent, merit-based and nationally inclusive.

‎Sambo said the committee would ensure that deserving students from accredited post-secondary and tertiary institutions across the country had equal opportunities to attain National Laureate status.

‎The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the committee comprises Prof. Abubakar Sambo, President of the Nigerian Academy of Science, as Chairman; Prof. Solomon Nwhator of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife and Prof. Tolulope Ariyomo of the Federal University Oye-Ekiti.

Others include Prof. Francis Uba of the Federal University of Health Sciences, Otukpo; Dr Babangida Albaba, representing the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE); Dr Salihu Girei, representing TETFund and Prof. Carol Arinze-Umobi of Nnamdi Azikiwe University.

In the list are Dr Obianuju Anigbogu, representing the Federal Ministry of Education; Mr Francis Egbokare, representing the Nigerian Academy of Letters; Dr Ezinne Orisakwe, representing the National Universities Commission (NUC); Dr Pius Ekireghwo, representing the National Commission for Colleges of Education (NCCE) and Mr Richard Falaye, Secretary of the Nigeria Education Repository and Databank (NERD). ‎(NAN)