No winner declared for 2025 Nigeria Prize for Science as integrity of award takes priority

By Damiete Braide

The Advisory Board of The Nigeria Prize for Science has declared that no winner has emerged for the 2025 edition of the prize, citing the unsatisfactory quality of entries submitted this year.

The decision, though rare, reinforces the board’s commitment to maintaining the integrity of one of Africa’s most prestigious scientific awards.

Announcing the outcome at a press briefing in Lagos, the chairman of the Advisory Board, Professor Barth Nnaji, revealed that despite receiving 112 submissions from scientists and innovators across Nigeria and beyond, none met the high standard required for the prize. He explained that the verdict was reached after a rigorous and transparent adjudication process.

“This decision was not taken lightly,” Prof Nnaji said. “The prize is not merely about rewarding scientific effort but about safeguarding creativity, originality, and rigour. To lower the bar would betray the trust of the public and diminish the legacy of the prize itself.”

The Advisory Board stressed that while all entries reflected courage and dedication, excellence demands more than effort. Prof Nnaji noted that outstanding scientific work requires innovation, mastery, and the ability to leave a lasting mark on human knowledge and development. “Excellence is beyond effort; it is about innovation and originality that stand the test of time,” he said.

Despite the outcome, the board expressed optimism that Nigerian scientists would be inspired by the verdict to strive for higher standards. “The Nigeria Prize exists to celebrate only the finest achievements,” Prof Nnaji reiterated. “Where originality and rigour are absent, we cannot, in good conscience, bestow the prize.”

This year’s result is not unprecedented. The Nigeria Prize for Science was also withheld in 2005, 2007, during the hiatus between 2011 and 2016, and again in 2021. According to Prof Nnaji, these instances should not discourage participation but should remind Nigerian scientists and researchers that the prize will never compromise its standards of scientific innovation and excellence.

The Advisory Board also announced that the 2025 theme, “Innovations in ICT, Artificial Intelligence (AI), and digital technologies for development,” will be repeated for the 2026 edition. This decision, the board said, was taken to attract a broader spectrum of innovators, particularly in the fast-evolving fields of artificial intelligence and digital technology.

As part of the announcement, the board unveiled the panel of judges for the 2025 edition.

Now in its 21st year, The Nigeria Prize for Science, sponsored by Nigeria LNG Limited, remains one of the most respected platforms for recognising excellence in scientific research and innovation on the continent. While the absence of a winner in 2025 may disappoint some observers, the Advisory Board emphasised that the decision ultimately preserves the credibility and prestige of the prize.

“The prize is a beacon for the best of science and innovation in Nigeria,” Prof Nnaji concluded. “It will continue to serve as a reminder that true excellence cannot be compromised and that only work of the highest quality will earn this recognition.”