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Mary-Brenda Akoda has won the 2026 Nigeria Prize for Science and Innovation (NPSI) with her artificial intelligence-powered technology designed to dramatically reduce the time required to conduct Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scans.
Akoda, who becomes the first woman and first millennial to win the prize as an individual recipient, emerged winner from a record 237 entries submitted for the 2026 edition of the competition.
Her innovation, GenScan AI (GenMRI/C-MORE), uses artificial intelligence to reconstruct MRI images, with the technology capable of potentially reducing MRI acquisition time by up to 90 per cent without requiring new MRI hardware.
The winner was announced yesterday in Lagos at the 2026 press conference of the Nigeria Prize for Science and Innovation, sponsored by Nigeria LNG Limited (NLNG).
Chairman of the NPSI Advisory Board, Professor Barth Nnaji, who announced the winner, said Akoda’s innovation was unanimously selected after a rigorous and independent assessment by the panel of judges.
He said the panel evaluated the shortlisted innovations based on scientific innovation, technical depth, developmental impact, scalability and practical application.
Nnaji said GenScan AI stood out because of its potential to address a major challenge in Nigeria’s healthcare system by enabling existing MRI machines to process more patients within shorter periods.
According to him, the technology would not increase the physical number of MRI machines in the country but could significantly expand the effective capacity of existing compatible scanners.
“In practical terms, this means that hospitals and diagnostic centres can serve more patients using existing MRI infrastructure, while improving diagnostic efficiency and expanding access to quality healthcare,” he said.
Nnaji explained that reducing the time required for each MRI examination could help diagnostic centres cut waiting lists, facilitate earlier diagnosis and allow more patients to access imaging services without hospitals necessarily having to purchase additional MRI machines.
He noted that the significance of the innovation was particularly important in Nigeria, where access to advanced medical imaging remains constrained by limited infrastructure.
The chairman said the 2026 competition was significant because it retained the theme of the 2025 edition, which ended without a winner after no entry met the required standard.
He said the decision to declare no winner last year demonstrated the commitment of the prize administrators to preserving its integrity and credibility.
According to him, the decision did not discourage innovators, as the 2026 edition attracted 237 entries, the highest number recorded since the prize began.
“Following a rigorous, independent and transparent evaluation process, our panel of judges identified three exceptional innovations as finalists,” Nnaji said.
The other shortlisted innovations were EwaDx Smart Bra Diagnostic Device by Kemisola Bolarinwa and Accuracy and Reliability of MedBrain in Assisting Triage and Diagnosis of Common Acute Paediatric Conditions in Ethiopia by Pol Ricart and Paul Dinwoke.
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Nnaji said all three finalists demonstrated ingenuity and scientific merit, but Akoda’s GenScan AI consistently achieved the highest scores among the judges.
He said the award reflected the broader objective of the prize to identify scientific innovations capable of solving real-world problems and improving lives.
Earlier, General Manager, External Relations and Sustainable Development, NLNG, Dr Sophia Horsfall, said the return of a winner after the 2025 “no winner” verdict demonstrated that the standards of the prize remained uncompromising.
Horsfall said NLNG had intensified efforts to increase participation following last year’s outcome by taking the prize beyond the judging room and engaging Nigeria’s research and innovation community, academic institutions and the media.
She said the 237 entries received this year represented renewed interest in developing solutions using artificial intelligence, information and communication technology, and digital technologies.
“If an entry is declared worthy of the Prize today, we can be confident that it has earned that distinction through a thorough and credible evaluation process,” she said.
Horsfall also commended the Advisory Board and the Panel of Judges for their professionalism, independence and integrity in the adjudication process.
Akoda, a first-class Computer Science graduate of Goldsmiths, University of London, holds a Master of Research with Distinction in Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning from Imperial College London, where she was a Google DeepMind Scholar.
She has also worked as a software engineer and AI research scientist at Microsoft, including at the Microsoft Mixed Reality and AI Research Lab in Cambridge.
Her GenScan AI innovation is based on the C-MORE algorithm, which employs a one-step consistency-model framework to reconstruct MRI images.
The technology is designed to maintain or potentially improve image quality while substantially reducing the time required to acquire MRI scans.
The development is expected to have implications for healthcare facilities operating in resource-constrained environments, where high demand, limited equipment and lengthy scan times can restrict access to diagnostic services.
Akoda will receive the $100,000 prize money at the Grand Award Night scheduled for October 9, 2026.
The 2026 outcome marks the 12th time a winning work has been recognised in the 22-year history of the prize, now known as The Nigeria Prize for Science and Innovation.
NPSI, one of NLNG’s flagship initiatives, is aimed at promoting excellence in scientific research and innovation and encouraging the development of solutions capable of delivering meaningful and sustainable impact on society.
