Call for Nominations
NASMA 2026

CALL FOR NOMINATIONS / SUBMISSIONS – 2026 EDITION

PREAMBLE

The Nasarawa State Merit Awards (NASMA) is a flagship initiative established to recognize and celebrate individuals and institutions whose outstanding contributions have significantly advanced the development of Nasarawa State and humanity at large. NASMA provides a credible, transparent, and merit-based platform for acknowledging excellence, integrity, innovation, and impactful service across public service, private enterprise, civil society, and community development.

SELECTION / CONSIDERATION

Selection will be made from a wide range of nominations showcasing exceptional merit, credible impact, and distinctive contribution to Nasarawa State and humanity. Nominations must present achievements that are innovative, evidence-based, and of clear public value, whether as a specific breakthrough in a field or a cumulative record of sustained excellence.

The NASMA Awards emphasize distinct merit, integrity, and upright morality. Accordingly:

• Nominators must not make public the names of nominees at any stage of the process.
• Any nominee found to lobby, induce, or influence the process directly or indirectly shall be disqualified.
• All submissions are subject to rigorous verification and assessment by the NASMA Advisory and Selection Committee and, where necessary, independent/external assessors drawn from relevant professional, academic, and sector communities.

AWARD CATEGORIES

Nominations are invited across NASMA categories including (as applicable to the current edition):

• Education Merit Award
• Health Merit Award
• Sports Development Merit Award
• Social and Humanitarian Merit Award
• Entrepreneurship Merit Award
• Public Service Merit Awards(“Those in service”)
• Governance Merit Award
• Posthumous Merit Award
• Impactful Investor Merit Award
• Infrastructure Delivery Merit Award
• Parliamentary Excellence (Senate, House of Reps, and Nasarawa State House of Assembly)
• Security and Public Safety Merit Award
• Judicial Reforms Merit Award
• Public Service Lifetime Merit Award
• Project Delivery Merit Award
• Diaspora Impact Merit Award
• Digital Innovation Merit Award
• Peacebuilding Merit Award
• Administrative Excellence Merit Award
• Youth Agripreneur Merit Award
• Women in Agriculture Merit Award
• AgTech and Mechanization Merit Award
• Agriclultural Research and Innovation Merit Award
• Agro-Processing & Value Addition Merit Award
• Emerging Youth Leader in Technology Merit Award
• Ethical Social Media Leadership Merit Award (Male)
• Ethical Social Media Leadership Merit Award (Female)

NASMA ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

1) Who is Eligible

A nominee is eligible if they meet any ONE of the following primary eligibility tests:

A. Indigene Test (Origin)
The nominee is an indigene of Nasarawa State (from any LGA), as evidenced by a valid Certificate/Letter of Indigeneship or equivalent recognized documentation.

B. Residency Test (Belonging by long-term living)
The nominee is a non-indigene but has been a continuous resident in Nasarawa State for at least ten (10) years, and the nomination demonstrates that the qualifying achievement was delivered substantially within the State.

C. Service-to-State Test (Impact-based belonging)
The nominee is a non-indigene who has provided exceptional and sustained service to Nasarawa State for at least eight (5) years, with verifiable outcomes that directly benefited the State and its people.

2) Achievement Location Requirement

• In-State Achievement: At least 60% of the impact occurred within Nasarawa State, OR
• Nasarawa-Benefit Achievement: The achievement occurred outside the State but has direct, measurable benefit to Nasarawa State.

3) Category-Specific Eligibility Notes

• Diaspora Impact
• Public Service (“Still in service”)
• Meritorious Public Service (“Those that have served before”)
• Posthumous Awards (with family/estate consent)

4) Evidence Requirements (from Nominee after being selected)

• Proof of Nasarawa link (Indigeneship, residency, or service records)
• Two independent verifiers (community and professional)
• Impact evidence relevant to the award category

5) Disqualification Rules

• Failure to meet eligibility tests
• False or unverifiable information
• Lobbying or inducement
• Criminal investigation or conviction
• Confirmed record of gross misconduct

6) Fairness Clauses

• Cooling-off clause for NASMA committee members
• Conflict of interest rule for assessors

SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS

• Completed NASMA Nomination Form
• Eligibility Qualification
• Impact & Achievement Details
• Supporting Evidence
• Declaration of Non-Lobbying and Authenticity

MODE OF SUBMISSION

Online: Submit via http://nasma.com.ng

Manual:All manual submissions must also be emailed (PDF) to info@nasma.com.ng.

DEADLINE

All nominations must be submitted on or before: To be announced

IMPORTANT NOTICE

NASMA reserves the right to verify claims and to disqualify any nomination found to contain false, misleading, or unverifiable information. Submissions must strictly comply with the NASMA Guidelines for Nominations.