NLNG Opens 2026 Nigeria Prizes, Spotlights AI, Poetry, and Documentary Film
Kathy Kyari
The Nigeria Prizes competition has officially commenced for the 2026 cycle, with Nigeria LNG Limited (NLNG) announcing a Call for Entries that places innovation, creative expression, and cultural identity at the centre of national and global discourse.
This year’s edition focuses on Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Information and Communication Technology (ICT) 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.
The Nigeria Prizes are widely regarded as the country’s most prestigious platform for rewarding excellence in science, literature, and the creative arts, with the 2026 cycle reinforcing NLNG’s long-standing commitment to intellectual and creative development.
For the Science and Innovation category, NLNG retained the theme “Innovations in Information and Communication Technology (ICT), Artificial Intelligence, and Digital Technologies for Development,” following a “no winner” outcome in the 2025 cycle.
Speaking on the commencement of the prizes, NLNG’s General Manager, External Relations and Sustainable Development, Sophia Horsfall, said the themes reflect the demands of a rapidly changing world driven by technology and creativity.
“The themes for the 2026 cycle reflect the realities of a world being reshaped by digital intelligence and creative expression. 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. The introduction of the Creative Arts Prize further strengthens this commitment by recognising creativity as a critical component of development”.
Also commenting on the Call for Entries, Chairman of the Advisory Board for the Science and Innovation Prize, Prof. Barth Nnaji, urged scientists and innovators to submit works that go beyond theory and demonstrate real-world applicability.
“The Nigeria Prize for Science and Innovation is founded on the principle that science must move beyond abstraction into solutions that work. The Prize recognises innovations grounded in rigorous research, demonstrating technical maturity and clear potential for application within Nigeria’s development landscape. We are looking for works that are inventive, credible, scalable, and capable of delivering measurable outcomes,” Prof. Nnaji stated.
Valued at USD $100,000, the Science and Innovation Prize is open to scientists and innovators worldwide and seeks pioneering AI- and digital-driven solutions capable of improving efficiency, strengthening systems, and supporting informed decision-making across critical sectors of Nigeria’s economy.
For The Nigeria Prize for Literature, the 2026 cycle turns the spotlight on Poetry. Nigerian poets at home and in the diaspora are invited to submit poetry collections published from 2023 onwards. The Literature Prize, also worth USD $100,000, celebrates the power of literary expression to interrogate society, preserve memory, and articulate shared human experiences.
Meanwhile, the introduction of The Nigeria Prize for Creative Arts marks a major expansion of the NLNG prizes portfolio. The inaugural edition focuses on Documentary Film under the theme ‘Identity’.
Chairman of the Advisory Board for both the Literature Prize and the Creative Arts Prize, Prof. Akachi Adimora-Ezeigbo, described the new category as a milestone in NLNG’s more than two decades of championing excellence.
“It reaffirms our belief that excellence transcends form, whether written, spoken, or filmed. The Creative Arts Prize challenges creators to confront truth, explore memory, and translate lived experience into meaningful work. At the same time, 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, with a unique capacity to distil memory and interrogate complex realities,” she said.
The Creative Arts Prize, valued at USD $20,000, is targeted at emerging Nigerian filmmakers aged 18 to 35. It challenges young creatives to produce documentary films that explore individual, communal, and cultural identities while reshaping global perceptions of Nigeria through compelling storytelling and visual excellence.
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