Conscience Foundation Opposes Move to Merge National Awards
The Conscience Foundation has strongly opposed the proposed merger of the Nigerian National Merit Award (NNMA) with the National Honour Award.
The organisation warned that such a move could dilute the integrity and purpose of recognising academic and intellectual excellence in Nigeria.
In a press statement issued on Thursday, the Foundation — a non-profit organisation championing democracy, human rights, and good governance — described the planned merger as counterproductive and unnecessary.
“The Nigerian National Merit Award (NNMA) was established in 1979 to celebrate intellectual brilliance in fields such as science, technology, medicine, humanities, and the arts. It is Nigeria’s equivalent of the Nobel Prize,” the statement noted.
“On the other hand, the National Honour Award is broader and politically influenced, recognising a wide range of national contributions through titles like CFR and MFR.”
The Foundation raised serious concerns about the implications of the merger, citing the risk of politicising a merit-based process and the potential difficulty in establishing clear and credible selection criteria.
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“While a merger might streamline processes and reduce administrative duplication, it threatens to erode the prestige of the NNMA, which prides itself on rigour, academic excellence, and merit-based recognition,” the organisation argued.
Speaking at a stakeholders’ engagement session held at the National Assembly on Wednesday, Dr. Onwusoro Ihemelandu, Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Special Duties and Inter-Governmental Affairs, echoed similar sentiments.
He stated that the Ministry remains firmly opposed to the merger. “National Honours are often driven by political considerations, but the Nigerian National Merit Award is based on painstaking, intellectual evaluation,” Ihemelandu stressed.
“The awards differ in focus, process, and intent — and must remain so.” The Conscience Foundation called on the National Assembly to reject the proposal and instead strengthen the NNMA through better funding and visibility.
It urged lawmakers to preserve the sanctity of both awards by maintaining their distinct identities. “The National Honour Award may recognise patriotism and public service, but the NNMA is about intellectual legacy.
“Merging them risks compromising both ideals,” said Bunmi Oyekanmi, Secretary of the Foundation.
The organisation vowed to continue mobilising civil society, professional groups, and the academic community to safeguard what it described as Nigeria’s most prestigious merit-based award.
