.Becomes first female winner, first millennial individual winner
Nigerian software prodigy who studied at Imperial College London, Mary-Brenda Akoda, has emerged the winner of the 2026 edition of the annual Nigerian Prize for Science and Innovation sponsored by Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) Limited.
Akoda won the prize for her innovative GenScan AI (GenMRI/C-MORE), an artificial intelligence-powered technology designed to significantly accelerate Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) while maintaining or improving image quality.
With the accomplishment, Akoda would now receive the $100,000 or N140 million prize at the Grand Award Night scheduled for October 9, 2026.
Akoda’s victory marks two historic milestones in the 22-year history of the Prize as she becomes the first female winner of the prize and also the first millennial to win the prize as an individual recipient. Other winners in the period had entered the contest as teams.
Her innovation emerged as the winner from a record 237 entries, the highest number received since the Prize was established, following a rigorous and independent evaluation by the Panel of Judges chaired by Dr Omobola Johnson and endorsement by the NPSI Advisory Board.
GenScan AI uses the C-MORE algorithm, a one-step consistency-model framework for reconstructing MRI images. The technology has the potential to reduce MRI scan times by up to 90 per cent without requiring new hardware, thereby improving scanner utilisation, reducing patient waiting periods and potentially expanding access to medical imaging, particularly in resource-constrained healthcare systems such as Nigeria’s.
The judges said GenScan AI demonstrated the strongest combination of scientific innovation, technical soundness, developmental impact and commercial scalability among the three shortlisted innovations.
The other finalists were Kemisola Bolarinwa’s EwaDx Smart Bra Diagnostic Device and Pol Ricart and Paul Dinwoke’s MedBrain, which focuses on assisting the triage and diagnosis of common acute paediatric conditions in Ethiopia.
Speaking at the announcement, NLNG General Manager, External Relations and Sustainable Development, Dr Sophia Horsfall, said the emergence of a winner after the Prize recorded a “no winner” verdict in 2025 demonstrated that its standards remained uncompromising while reflecting the growing quality of Nigerian science and innovation.
She said the record 237 entries under the theme “Innovations in Artificial Intelligence, ICT and Digital Technologies for Development” demonstrated the increasing interest and capacity of Nigerian innovators to develop solutions to real-world challenges.
“If an entry is declared worthy of the Prize today, we can be confident that it has earned that distinction through a thorough and credible evaluation process,” Horsfall said, commending the Advisory Board and judging panel for their professionalism, independence and integrity.
Chairman of the NPSI Advisory Board, Professor Barth Nnaji, said the unanimous selection of GenScan AI reflected its exceptional quality and potential to address critical healthcare challenges.
He said the evaluation process went beyond scientific novelty to consider practical relevance, measurable impact and prospects for real-world application.
According to Nnaji, GenScan AI stood out because it combines advanced artificial intelligence with a practical healthcare application capable of improving the efficiency and accessibility of medical imaging.
The 2026 award is the 12th winning work recognised in the 22-year history of the Prize, which has now been rebranded as The Nigeria Prize for Science and Innovation.
A First-Class graduate of Computer Science from Goldsmiths, University of London, Akoda holds a Master of Research with Distinction in Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning from Imperial College London, where she was a Google DeepMind Scholar.
She has also worked as a software engineer and AI research scientist at Microsoft, including at the Microsoft Mixed Reality and AI Research Lab in Cambridge.
NLNG congratulated Akoda and all participants, noting that their submissions contribute to strengthening Nigeria’s scientific and innovation ecosystem.
The company also acknowledged the media for its continued role in promoting scientific excellence and drawing attention to innovative solutions to national challenges.
The Nigeria Prize for Science and Innovation remains one of NLNG’s flagship initiatives for promoting excellence in scientific research and innovation, with the broader objective of encouraging solutions capable of delivering meaningful and sustainable impact on society.
For a better society
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