THE 2026 NIGERIA PRIZES AND THE POSSIBILITIES THAT LIE AHEAD

The winners of the 2026 edition of the Nigeria Prizes emerged at the Grand Award Night held on Friday, October 9, 2026. Adjudged the most consequential prizes out of Africa in two of their three categories, Literature and Science and Innovation, the Nigeria Prizes are a testament to Nigeria’s burgeoning gains in science and technology, literature and the arts. They honour Nigerian scientists solving problems, writers telling our stories and creative minds expressing who we are. Their works are a celebration of Nigeria’s academic genius and the pleasant possibilities that lie ahead.

At the Grand Award Night at the Eko Convention Centre, Beyond Tarkwa Bay and Mara Mania, by Peter Oghenetega and Feranmi Abiola, shared the inaugural Nigeria Prize for Creative Arts. It had been announced earlier, during the 2025 Grand Award Night, that the Nigeria Prize for Literary Criticism would no longer be awarded and that a new USD 20,000 prize for Creative Arts would take its place. Ogaga Ifowodo emerged poet laureate of the 2026 edition of the Nigeria Prize for Literature with his poetry collection, Why Does God Need a Gun? The lawyer, poet, writer, scholar and activist takes home the USD 100,000 cash prize after edging out the other two shortlisted entries.

Mary-Brenda Akoda was awarded the Nigeria Prize for Science and Innovation for GenScan AI, edging out the other 236 entries. Her entry has been drawing both domestic and international attention. This comes on the heels of the 2025 edition, in which no winner emerged in the Science and Innovation category.

GenScan AI

Prior to the Grand Award Night, Mary-Brenda Akoda and her AI innovation in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) were publicly presented as winners of the Nigeria Prize for Science and Innovation on October 5, 2026 at the Transcorp Hilton, Abuja. The annual science prize, instituted by Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG), is aimed at stimulating the advancement and application of science and technology. Mary-Brenda and her winning entry were presented to stakeholders that included the Nigerian government and leaders in healthcare, science and industry. The ceremony was a celebration of scientific ideas and excellence.

Dr. Sophia Horsfall, the General Manager, External Relations and Sustainable Development at NLNG, stated that the true vision of the organisation went beyond recognising remarkable ideas to providing a platform for scientific research that would make a difference in the lives of the people.

GenScan AI sits at the intersection of AI and healthcare. GenMRI, its first GenAI software, reduces scan time by 90%, enables 10 times more patients to be scanned, cuts wait times by 90% and requires no hardware cost on existing scanners. Built by AI researchers under the guidance of healthcare professionals, GenScan AI’s mission is to make faster, higher-quality diagnostic imaging more accessible, reliable and sustainable for healthcare systems worldwide.

The Honourable Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, described her achievement as “an important demonstration of what Nigerian talents can accomplish when education, research and opportunity come together.” Professor Barth Nnaji, the Chairman of the Prize’s Advisory Board, noted that Dr. Akoda’s GenScan AI was for the world, not just Nigeria. According to him, the winning entry stood out because of its ability to address a pressing health challenge.

In August 2026, UK Research and Innovation (Innovate UK) spotlighted Mary-Brenda of GenScan AI as one of the 100 women shaping the UK’s future industries. She also won the Entrepreneurs’ Award in Social Innovation, a £10,000 prize plus ongoing business support, and was awarded €10,000 in equity-free funding by Founderland. In addition, the NHS Clinical Entrepreneur Programme recognised her as a Cohort 3 Patient Entrepreneur.

What Remains?

The task now is translating GenScan AI from an award-winning innovation into clinically impactful technology. The cost and time constraints that accompany diagnostic services in Nigeria’s health sector could be eased if GenMRI becomes ubiquitous in medical facilities across the country.

The onus rests on the organisers of the Nigeria Prizes, the Ministries of Health and of Science, Innovation and Technology, and other relevant stakeholders to come together and ensure that it does not end with a grand award ceremony.

Without a doubt, Mary-Brenda’s emergence as the 2026 prize winner is meritorious, as her GenScan AI has the potential to advance science and technology in Nigeria, resolve issues that are germane to the country’s development and help improve the standard of living of Nigerians.