Millennial innovator Mary-Brenda Akoda has emerged the first woman and individual millennial to win the Nigeria Prize for Science and Innovation, NPSI.
She won the 2026 NLNG-sponsored prize for GenScan AI (GenMRI/C-MORE), an artificial intelligence solution that accelerates Magnetic Resonance Imaging, MRI, scans and improves imaging efficiency.
The technology promises to reduce scan times, increase patient throughput, and make MRI more accessible across Nigerian hospitals.
She was announced at the 2026 press conference for the Nigeria Prize for Science and Innovation in Lagos, after an independent assessment by the Prize’s Panel of Judges and endorsement by the NPSI Advisory Board.
Her victory followed the unanimous recommendation by the panel of judges chaired by Dr Omobola Johnson and the approval of the NPSI Advisory Board, which selected GenScanp as the winning work from a record of 237 entries submitted in the 2026 cycle, the highest number of entries ever received since the Prize began.
Akoda’s GenScan AI presents an AI-powered MRI reconstruction technology designed to significantly reduce MRI acquisition time while maintaining or improving image quality. Its C-MORE algorithm uses a one-step consistency-model framework to reconstruct MRI images, with the work reported to have the potential to reduce scan times by up to 90% without requiring new MRI hardware.
The innovation was adjudged to have the strongest combination of scientific innovation, technical soundness, developmental impact and commercial scalability potential among the three shortlisted entries.
The judges noted that its ability to improve scanner utilisation, reduce patient waiting time and potentially expand access to MRI services makes it particularly relevant to healthcare systems in resource-constrained environments such as Nigeria.
At the press conference, General Manager, External Relations and Sustainable Development, NLNG, Dr Sophia Horsfall, disclosed thatbthe return of a winner after the Prize recorded a “no winner” verdict in 2025 demonstrated that the standards of the Prize remain uncompromising while reflecting the quality and potential of Nigerian science and innovation.
She said the 2026 competition attracted 237 entries, the highest number recorded since the inception of the Prize.
She added: “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.”
She commended the Advisory Board and Panel of Judges for their professionalism, independence and integrity throughout the adjudication process.
Also speaking, Chairman of the NPSI Advisory Board, Professor Barth Nnaji, said the unanimous decision to recognise GenScan AI reflects the quality of the innovation and its potential to address important healthcare challenges.
He said the rigorous evaluation process was designed to identify work that goes beyond scientific novelty to demonstrate practical relevance, measurable impact and prospects for real-world application.
GenScan AI, he noted, was outstanding for combining advanced artificial intelligence with a practical healthcare application that could improve the efficiency and accessibility of medical imaging.
Akoda will receive the US$100,000 prize award at The Grand Award Night scheduled for 9 October 2026.
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 with the Microsoft Mixed Reality and AI Research Lab in Cambridge.
Congratulating Akoda and all participants in the 2026 competition, NLNG noted that every submission contributed to strengthening Nigeria’s scientific and innovation ecosystem.