The Nigerian Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) Company has officially opened entries for the 2026 edition of The Nigeria Prizes, inviting scientists, writers, and creatives to compete across science and innovation, literature, and creative arts categories.
In a statement issued in Port Harcourt on Sunday, NLNG announced that the 2026 cycle will focus on artificial intelligence and information and communication technology for The Nigeria Prize for Science and Innovation, poetry for The Nigeria Prize for Literature, and documentary filmmaking for the newly introduced Nigeria Prize for Creative Arts.
The company said the prizes remain Nigeria’s foremost platform for recognising excellence in science, innovation, literature, and creative expression.
NLNG’s Manager of Corporate Communication and Public Affairs, Anne-Marie Palmer-Ikuku, said the Science and Innovation category has retained the theme “Innovations in Information and Communication Technology, Artificial Intelligence, and Digital Technologies for Development,” following a “no winner” outcome in the 2025 cycle.
Speaking on the commencement of the 2026 competition, NLNG’s General Manager of External Relations and Sustainable Development, Sophia Horsfall, said the selected themes reflect the realities of a rapidly evolving global landscape driven by digital intelligence and creativity.
She noted that extensive research has shown the growing impact of information and communication technology, artificial intelligence, and digital tools in transforming industries, governance, and societies.
“Through The Nigeria Prizes, NLNG continues to reinforce its commitment to ideas and talents that are rigorous, relevant, and capable of shaping long-term national outcomes,” Horsfall said, adding that the introduction of the Creative Arts Prize further underscores the role of creativity in national development.
Also speaking, Chairman of the Advisory Board for The Nigeria Prize for Science and Innovation, Professor Barth Nnaji, called on scientists and innovators worldwide to submit entries that go beyond theory and demonstrate practical, scalable solutions.
He said the prize is rooted in the belief that science must translate into real-world impact, particularly within Nigeria’s development context.
“We are looking for innovations that are inventive, credible, deployable, and capable of delivering measurable outcomes,” Nnaji said.
The Science and Innovation Prize, valued at 100,000 United States dollars, is open to scientists and innovators globally and seeks digital and artificial intelligence–driven solutions capable of improving efficiency, decision-making, and productivity in key sectors of Nigeria’s economy.
For The Nigeria Prize for Literature, Nigerian authors at home and in the diaspora are invited to submit poetry collections published from 2023 onwards. The literature prize is also valued at 100,000 United States dollars.
Chairman of the Advisory Board for The Nigeria Prize for Literature and The Nigeria Prize for Creative Arts, Professor Akachi Adimora-Ezeigbo, described the introduction of the Creative Arts category as a significant milestone in NLNG’s over two decades of celebrating excellence.
She said the new category affirms the belief that excellence transcends form, whether written, spoken, or filmed, while the focus on poetry recognises the genre’s enduring role in reflection, resistance, and social inquiry.
The Nigeria Prize for Creative Arts debuts with documentary filmmaking under the theme “Identity.” Valued at 20,000 United States dollars, the prize targets emerging Nigerian filmmakers aged 18 to 35 and challenges them to explore individual, communal, and cultural identities through compelling visual storytelling.
NLNG said the initiative aims to reshape global perceptions of Nigeria by encouraging creative works that combine depth, authenticity, and artistic excellence.
