By Damiete Braide
The race for Africa’s biggest literary honour has narrowed to three contenders as the Advisory Board for The Nigeria Prize for Literature unveiled the shortlist for the 2025 edition on Thursday, August 28.
Competing for the coveted $100,000 prize sponsored by Nigeria LNG Limited (NLNG) are: Sanya by Oyin Olugbile, The Road to the Country by Chigozie Obioma, and This Motherless Land by Nikki May, while the winner will be announced at a grand award ceremony on Friday, October 10.
Professor Akachi Adimora-Ezeigbo, chairman of the Advisory Board, described this year’s selection process as rigorous and challenging, given the high quality of the entries.
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“The shortlist before us is exceptional. Each work distinguishes itself through masterful plotting, characterisation, and a good command of language that transports readers into imagined worlds,” she said. “They are compelling in their beauty, stirring in their emotional resonance, and unflinching in their engagement with urgent societal issues.”
Adimora-Ezeigbo praised the 11 longlisted authors for their creativity and passion, acknowledging the difficulty of narrowing the list to just three. She added that the judging process reaffirmed the board’s commitment to excellence in Nigerian literature.
The judging panel for 2025 is chaired by Associate Professor Saeedat Bolajoko Aliyu of the Department of English, Kwara State University. Other members include Professor Stephen Mbanefo Ogene, a Professor of Comparative Literature at Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, and Olakunle Kasumu, writer, filmmaker, and host of Channels Television’s Book Club.
The judges highlighted the strengths of each shortlisted work. Olugbile’s Sanya was praised as a “fascinating novel with an unrelenting pace that keeps readers engaged.” Obioma’s The Road to the Country was commended for “masterfully exploring alternative realities while weaving a story of love, brotherhood, and the devastation of war.” May’s This Motherless Land was described as “emotionally charged and alluring, with brilliant writing and riveting characters that straddle two cultures.”
According to the Advisory Board, this year’s competition has been one of the most competitive cycles yet, Pushing the boundaries of Nigerian storytelling.
The Nigeria Prize for Literature, instituted in 2004, rotates annually among four genres: prose fiction, poetry, drama, and children’s literature. It is recognised as the continent’s most prestigious literary award, celebrating excellence and keeping alive the conversation around African writing.
As anticipation builds, the literary community in Nigeria and beyond now awaits the October announcement to see which of the three outstanding works will take the prize and join the pantheon of past laureates.
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