By FUNMILOLA GBOTEKU

The Nigeria Prizes have opened entries for the 2026 cycle, focusing on artificial intelligence, poetry and documentary filmmaking across science, literature and creative arts.

Mrs Sophia Horsfall, General Manager, External Relations and Sustainable Development at Nigeria LNG Ltd. (NLNG), made this known in a statement on Sunday.

Horsfall said the 2026 edition of the Nigeria Prize for Science and Innovation would focus on Innovations in Information and Communication Technology (ICT), Artificial Intelligence, and Digital Technologies for Development, following a no-winner outcome in the 2025 cycle.

She added that the Nigeria Prize for Literature would spotlight poetry, while the newly introduced Nigeria Prize for Creative Arts would debut with documentary filmmaking.

According to her, the Nigeria Prizes remain the country’s foremost platform for recognising excellence in science and innovation, literature and the creative arts, with a legacy spanning over two decades.

Horsfall said the selected themes reflected the realities of a rapidly evolving global environment, noting that extensive research had shown the transformative potential of ICT, artificial intelligence and digital technologies.

She said the prizes were designed to reward innovative ideas and talents capable of delivering long-term national impact, adding that the introduction of the Nigeria Prize for Creative Arts underscored NLNG’s commitment to recognising creativity as a critical driver of development.

Also, the Chairman of the Advisory Board for the Science and Innovation Prize, Prof. Barth Nnaji, urged scientists and innovators worldwide to submit works that moved beyond theory to provide deployable, scalable and practical solutions.

Nnaji said the prize was founded on the principle that science should deliver measurable outcomes, particularly within Nigeria’s development landscape.

“The Nigeria Prize for Science and Innovation, valued at 100,000 dollars, is open to scientists and innovators globally and seeks pioneering digital and artificial intelligence-based solutions across critical sectors of the Nigerian economy.

“For the Nigeria Prize for Literature, Nigerian poets resident in the country and in the Diaspora are invited to submit poetry collections published from 2023 onwards, with the prize also valued at 100,000 dollars,” he said.

The Chairman of the Advisory Board for the Nigeria Prize for Literature and the Nigeria Prize for Creative Arts, Prof. Akachi Adimora-Ezeigbo, described the Creative Arts Prize as a significant addition to NLNG’s legacy of celebrating excellence.

She said the prize reaffirmed the belief that excellence transcended form, whether written, spoken or filmed, while also recognising poetry’s enduring role in social reflection and inquiry.

“The Nigeria Prize for Creative Arts will debut with documentary film under the theme “Identity,” offering a 20,000-dollar prize and targeting emerging Nigerian filmmakers aged 18 to 35,” she said .

She said the prize would challenge young creatives to explore individual, communal and cultural identities through rigorous storytelling and visual excellence. (NAN)

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