From screen icon to innovation champion: Emeka Ike brings national attention to Nigeria’s emerging engineering and Technological talent.

For years, Emeka Ike has commanded attention on Nigerian screens. Now the iconic Nollywood actor is set to lend that spotlight to a different kind of star: the engineer and Technologist whose invention could change how Nigeria works.

The National Automation Prize (NAP) 2026, organised by Advanxis Technologies & Process Automation Ltd, is bringing together the drama of a national competition and the ingenuity of Nigerian problem-solvers, with Emeka Ike announced as host.

With a prize package exceeding ₦50 million in cash and industrial training technology as well as digital state of the art equipment to be built and delivered to some of the participating higher institutions, the third edition aims to turn outstanding engineering and technological ideas into national conversations — and, ultimately, practical opportunities.

The spotlight moves from performers to problem-solvers

At the heart of the new edition is a simple question: What would happen if young Nigerians who invent, build and automate received the same applause as the country’s most famous entertainers?

The competition aims to answer it through hands-on challenges, technical demonstrations, mentorship and reality-TV storytelling — revealing not only the final invention, but the setbacks, breakthroughs and determination behind it.

“I am an engineer by training, a Nollywood actor by profession and a passionate believer in Nigerian ingenuity. I know what entertainment has done for Nigeria’s global reputation, and I believe engineering and technology can do even more for our economic future.

“The National Automation Prize 2026 is about discovering the minds that will build tomorrow’s Nigeria. It is time to put our engineers and Technologists on the biggest stage, celebrate their brilliance and show the world what Nigerian innovation can achieve.

“We have spent decades celebrating talent in music, film and sports. It is time to give our engineers, inventors and technology creators the same national applause. Innovation deserves the spotlight,” Emeka Ike said.

•The First Edition NAP 2024 demonstration shows how practical engineering can be made visible and engaging

“The National Automation Prize 2026 is more than a competition; it is a movement to discover, celebrate and empower Nigeria’s brightest engineering and technology talents. Having Emeka Ike as our host brings a powerful blend of engineering, entertainment and inspiration to our mission of making innovation a national priority,” said Engr. Anthony James, Managing Director, Advanxis Technologies & Process Automation Ltd.

Not just a prize. A new definition of celebrity

The next breakthrough could come from a student developing a low-cost water-treatment controller, a team automating a factory process, or an independent inventor applying robotics to agriculture. Their work may not begin on a red carpet — but its impact could reach far beyond one.

NAP 2026 plans to bring those stories to a wider audience while connecting innovators to educators, manufacturers, industry leaders and potential partners.

Planned television outreach includes Major National Television as well as Cable TV; specific broadcast arrangements remain subject to confirmation.

•2nd Edition NAP 2025 award presentation

From early awards to a national ambition

Previous editions in 2024 and 2025 established the initiative’s foundation where Participants are awarded millions of Naira in cash Price for their engineering and Technological ingenuity. The 2026 is promising to be a blockbuster with mouth watering price reward of over ₦50m with individual and Higher Institution categories

A prize presentation from the first edition of the National Automation Prize in 2024.

•A prize presentation from the first edition of the National Automation Prize in 2024

The Higher Institution category also include the building of state-of-the-art digitalized equipment as well as training/mentorship for the first three top institutions.

These equipment prizes matter because their value can continue long after the cameras leave — supporting student projects, laboratory teaching and practical exposure to industrial systems.

•Second runner-up Michael Nwuzu featured in broadcast coverage

Why the story matters beyond the stage

For Advanxis, the ambition is not simply to discover one brilliant winner. It is to challenge a broader assumption: that Nigeria must remain primarily a buyer of technology designed elsewhere.

The organisers want more young people to see engineering as a route to invention, enterprise and industrial development.

From automation and robotics to artificial intelligence, energy, agriculture, manufacturing and water infrastructure, the country’s most urgent needs can become starting points for practical innovation.

•Advanxis representative speaking to the media at a NAP event

The prize also creates a compelling proposition for universities, polytechnics, research organisations, sponsors and industry partners: help turn promising prototypes into useful systems, and help the people behind them build careers and companies.

•NAP 2025 winner Samuel Udofia speaking during the televised event

A new kind of national hero

A movie star can move an audience. An engineer can move an industry.

NAP 2026 is built around the possibility that, together, those two kinds of influence can change what a generation aspires to become.

When Emeka Ike steps onto the NAP stage, the spotlight will not be on celebrity alone. It will be on young Nigerians who can transform an idea into a working system — and perhaps a working system into a solution the nation needs.

The next Nigerian superstar may not be holding a script or a microphone. They may be holding the blueprint to Nigeria’s future.

About the National Automation Prize

The National Automation Prize is an engineering and technology innovation competition organised by Advanxis Technologies & Process Automation Ltd. Its third edition seeks to bridge education, innovation and industry for a smarter Nigeria through technical challenges, recognition and practical industrial support.

For more Information, participation and partnership, visit www.advanxis.com/prize3