The Nigerian Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) company has announced that the Nigeria Prizes competition has officially kicked off, calling for entries for the 2026 cycle. The announcement was made in a statement issued in Port Harcourt on Sunday and sent to newsmen.
According to the company, this year’s edition focuses 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 The Nigeria Prize for Creative Arts.
NLNG’s Manager of Corporate Communication and Public Affairs, Anne-Marie Palmer-Ikuku, disclosed that the Prizes remain Nigeria’s foremost platform for rewarding excellence in science and innovation, literature, and the creative arts.
The company noted that for the 2026 cycle, the Nigeria Prize for Science and Innovation retained the theme “Innovations in Information and Communication Technology, Artificial Intelligence, and Digital Technologies for Development,” following a “no winner” verdict recorded in the 2025 cycle.
Speaking on the commencement of the prizes cycle, NLNG’s General Manager of External Relations and Sustainable Development, Sophia Horsfall, emphasised the relevance of the selected themes in a rapidly evolving global environment.
She said extensive research has shown the strong potential of ICT, artificial intelligence, and digital technologies to reshape industries and societies across different sectors.
“The themes for the 2026 cycle reflect the realities of a world being reshaped by digital intelligence and creative expression,” Horsfall stated.
“Through The Nigeria Prizes, NLNG continues to reinforce its commitment to innovative ideas and talents that are rigorous, relevant, and capable of shaping long-term national outcomes,” she added.
She explained that the introduction of the Creative Arts Prize further strengthens this commitment by recognising creativity as a critical component of development.
Also speaking on the call for entries, the Chairman of the Advisory Board of the Science and Innovation Prize, Prof. Barth Nnaji, urged scientists and innovators from across the world to submit quality entries that go beyond theory and demonstrate deployable, scalable, and practical solutions.
“The Nigeria Prize for Science and Innovation is founded on the principle that science must move beyond abstraction into solutions that work,” Nnaji said.
“The Prize recognises innovations grounded in rigorous research, demonstrating technical maturity and clear potential for application within Nigeria’s development landscape,” he added.
With the prize valued at $100,000, NLNG said the Science and Innovation competition is open to scientists and innovators worldwide and invites pioneering digital and artificial intelligence based solutions that can enhance systems, improve efficiency, and support informed decision making in critical sectors of Nigeria’s economy.
Similarly, the Nigeria Prize for Literature will spotlight poetry for the 2026 cycle, with Nigerian authors both at home and in the diaspora invited to participate.
According to the statement, poets are expected to submit poetry collections that were published from 2023 onwards.
“The prize, also worth $100,000, recognises literature’s enduring capacity to interrogate society, preserve memory, and articulate both personal and collective experience,” the company stated.
The Chairman of the Advisory Board for The Nigeria Prize for Literature and The Nigeria Prize for Creative Arts, Prof. Akachi Adimora-Ezeigbo, expressed excitement over the establishment of the new Prize for Creative Arts, describing it as a major addition to NLNG’s more than two decades of celebrating excellence.
“It reaffirms our belief that excellence transcends form, whether written, spoken, or filmed,” she said.
“The Creative Arts Prize challenges creators to confront truth, explore memory, and translate lived experience into meaningful work,” she added.
She noted that the focus on poetry for The Nigeria Prize for Literature recognises the genre’s enduring role as a tool for reflection, resistance, and social inquiry.
The Nigeria Prize for Creative Arts debuts with Documentary Film under the theme ‘Identity’ and is valued at $20,000.
NLNG explained that the Prize is targeted at emerging Nigerian filmmakers aged 18 to 35 and challenges young creatives to produce documentary films that explore individual, communal, and cultural identities, while reshaping global perceptions of Nigeria through rigorous storytelling, creativity, and visual excellence. The company encouraged wide participation.
