By Daniel Oluwatobiloba Popoola
The Nigerian Young Academy (NYA), in collaboration with Lagos State University (LASU), has announced that its 16th International Conference and General Assembly will hold at the Lagos State University, Ojo Campus, Lagos.
The announcement was contained in a press release issued on Monday, 20 July, 2026, disclosing that the five-day event is scheduled to run from Sunday, 16 August,to Thursday, August 20, 2026 under the theme, “Convergent Research for Global Impact: Integrating Knowledge, Innovation and Policy.”
According to the release, the conference will convene academics, researchers, policymakers, industry leaders, development partners and civil society organisations from Nigeria and around the world to examine how interdisciplinary research can address complex societal and global challenges, with the aim of showcasing cutting-edge research, strengthening collaboration among emerging and established scholars, and promoting evidence-based policies that support sustainable development.
The organisers explained that the initiative underscores the Academy’s commitment to advancing research excellence, innovation and leadership.
Ahead of the main event, the organisers disclosed that researchers were invited to submit abstracts of no more than 250 words between March 1 and June 14, 2026, while submissions for poster presentations remained open until July 24, 2026, noting that the conference is open to participants from Nigeria and abroad.
Once underway, the five-day programme will feature keynote and plenary sessions, lead paper presentations, oral and poster presentations, scientific awards, networking opportunities, and a pre-conference workshop on “Building Research Capacity in the AI Era: Grant Writing and Practical Data Analysis Using R.”
Discussions during the conference will span a broad range of themes, including sustainable development, public health systems, disease prevention, urban resilience, smart cities, energy systems, environmental policy, human-centred technology, rural development, food security, agribusiness, ethics in convergence science, and the application of artificial intelligence and machine learning in governance, planning and risk assessment.
The conference keynote address will be delivered by the Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Professor Akin Abayomi, while the President of the Nigerian Young Academy, Professor Temitope Onuminya, will host the event, and the Vice-Chancellor of Lagos State University, Professor Ibiyemi I. Olatunji-Bello, will serve as Chief Host.
According to the Chairman of the Local Organising Committee, Associate Professor Abdul-Azeez Adeyemi Anjorin of Lagos State University, the conference provides an important platform for researchers, professionals and policymakers to exchange ideas, foster partnerships and develop innovative solutions that can shape the future of research, innovation and public policy.
The organisers encouraged scholars, students, professionals and stakeholders across academia, government, industry and civil society to participate, noting that registration details and additional information are available on the Nigerian Young Academy’s website.
The Nigerian Young Academy is described as Nigeria’s foremost interdisciplinary academy for outstanding early-career researchers and professionals, established in 2010 by the Nigeria Academy of Science, with the support of the Nigeria Academy of Education and the Nigeria Academy of Engineering, to promote research excellence, leadership, interdisciplinary collaboration and public engagement.
The Academy is affiliated with the International Science Council, the Global Young Academy and the Network of African Science Academies (NASAC), and through its conferences, awards, publications and capacity-building initiatives, supports the development of young researchers while contributing to national and global development through science, scholarship and innovation.
