The Federal Government has announced plans to discontinue foreign scholarship programmes it considers unnecessary and redirect resources towards strengthening research, innovation and tertiary education within Nigeria.

The Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, disclosed the decision while unveiling the Tertiary Institutions National Laureate Prize, an initiative designed to reward outstanding academic research and innovation in Nigerian higher institutions.

According to the minister, many of the courses for which students are sponsored abroad are already available in local universities, polytechnics and colleges of education, making continued spending on such programmes difficult to justify.

He explained that funds previously allocated to foreign scholarships would be redirected towards improving local institutions and supporting research capable of driving national development.

As part of the new policy, the government introduced an annual research prize worth ₦365 million to recognise exceptional undergraduate, master’s and doctoral research projects.

The award scheme will recognise research with strong potential for innovation, commercialisation, industrial application and economic growth.

Special prizes will also be presented in areas such as engineering, medicine, agriculture, law, technology, teaching innovation and the social sciences.

The government said the initiative is intended to encourage students and researchers to develop practical solutions to national challenges and transform academic research into products, services and economic opportunities.

Officials added that the programme would operate through a transparent and merit-based selection process aimed at rewarding excellence across the country’s tertiary institutions.

The initiative forms part of broader efforts to strengthen Nigeria’s higher education sector, promote innovation and ensure that research contributes more directly to national growth and development.