Nollywood actor and trained engineer Emeka Ike will host the 2026 edition of the National Automation Prize, as the engineering and technology competition prepares to put Nigerian innovators in the spotlight with rewards valued at more than ₦50m.
Ike announced the development in a post shared on his official Facebook page, which Bzzyer reviewed for this report.
Organised by Advanxis Technologies & Process Automation Ltd, the National Automation Prize (NAP) will return for its third edition under the theme, “Build for Nigeria. Automate for Scale. Compete with the World.”
The competition will focus on practical applications of engineering, automation, artificial intelligence and robotics, with participants expected to develop solutions addressing challenges across sectors including manufacturing, energy, agriculture, water, security and public infrastructure.
The organisers said the 2026 edition will combine technical challenges, mentorship, demonstrations and competitive entertainment in an effort to take engineering innovation beyond laboratories and classrooms and into the public conversation.
Emeka Ike brings engineering background to technology stage
Ike’s appointment adds an unusual dimension to the competition. Although widely known for his career in Nollywood, the actor has a background in engineering and has positioned himself as an advocate for Nigerian technological talent.
“I am an engineer by training, a Nollywood actor by profession and a passionate believer in Nigerian ingenuity,” Ike said in the post.
According to him, Nigeria has consistently celebrated excellence in entertainment and sports, but needs to give engineers, inventors and technology creators similar visibility.
“The National Automation Prize 2026 is about discovering the minds that will build tomorrow’s Nigeria,” he said.
His involvement could help the competition reach an audience that may not ordinarily follow engineering contests, particularly younger Nigerians who consume technology and entertainment through the same digital platforms.
More than a cash prize
NAP 2026 will feature individual and higher-institution categories, with total rewards announced at more than ₦50m.
The higher-institution category will also offer the top three institutions digitalised equipment, alongside training and mentorship intended to strengthen practical engineering education.
That element could prove particularly significant in a country where universities and other higher institutions often face challenges providing students with sufficient access to modern industrial equipment.
Rather than simply rewarding a prototype once, the organisers are positioning the institutional prizes as tools that can continue supporting student projects, laboratory instruction and exposure to real-world engineering systems.
From prototypes to Nigerian-made solutions
Advanxis said the broader objective is to encourage Nigerians to move beyond consuming imported technology and become creators of solutions tailored to local problems.
Engr. Anthony James, Managing Director of Advanxis Technologies & Process Automation Ltd, described the prize as more than a competition, saying it is intended to discover, recognise and empower engineering and technology talent.
That ambition comes at a time when automation and artificial intelligence are rapidly changing industries globally, while Nigerian businesses face their own challenges around productivity, infrastructure and access to technology.
For Bzzyer, the more interesting question is therefore not simply who wins NAP 2026, but what happens to the ideas after the competition ends.
A working prototype can win a prize, but turning that prototype into a product, business or industrial solution requires funding, manufacturing capacity, technical mentorship and access to customers.
NAP is attempting to create a bridge between those stages by bringing innovators into contact with educators, manufacturers, industry leaders and potential partners.
Building a new kind of Nigerian tech celebrity
The first two editions, held in 2024 and 2025, established the competition and rewarded participants for engineering and technological innovation. The 2026 edition now aims to expand that platform and attract greater public attention.
With Emeka Ike as host, NAP is effectively combining two worlds Nigeria already knows how to celebrate: entertainment and talent.
But the real stars could be the engineers behind the machines.
A student developing an affordable water-treatment system, an inventor automating agricultural processes or a team using robotics to solve an industrial problem may never receive the attention given to a film star.
NAP 2026 is betting that changing that could also change how young Nigerians view engineering.
As Ike put it, the country has spent decades celebrating talent in music, film and sports. The organisers now want engineers and technology creators to receive their own national spotlight.
And if the competition succeeds, the next Nigerian name attracting national attention may not be attached to a blockbuster film or hit song, but to a machine, software system or invention solving a problem millions of Nigerians face.
