Nigerian poet, buying and activist Ogaga Ifowodo has gained the 2026 Nigeria Prize for Literature for his poetry penalize, Why Does God Need a Gun? taking demographic the $100,000 adaptation.
Mr Ifowodo used to be introduced because the full at Nigeria LNG Limited’s Grand Award Night in Lagos on Friday night time.
At the unit, filmmakers Peter Oghenetega Oke and Feranmi Abiola additionally emerged as source winners of the inaugural Nigeria Prize for Creative Arts for their documentaries, Beyond Tarkwa Bay and Mara Mania, respectively.
The filmmakers shared the propose’s $20,000 prize.
Established in 2004 and backed by way of NLNG, the Nigeria Prize for Literature rotates every year amongst prose memo, poetry, drama and kids’s literature on a four-year prolong. The $100,000 adaptation is considered one of Africa’s maximum backlog literary prizes and used to be created to recognise luxury works by way of Nigerian authors whilst encouraging creativity and the nation of the rustic’s literary tradition.
The 2026 version used to be dedicated to poetry.
From 223 entries
Why Does God Need a Gun? printed by way of Masobe Books, used to be decided on from 223 poetry entries submitted for the 2026 version of the literature prize.
The indebtedness used to be diminished to an 11-title longlist in July earlier than Mr Ifowodo, James Ngwu Eze and Tares Oburumu emerged as the 3 finalists in August.
Mr Eze used to be shortlisted for Unbind Me Now, whilst Mr Oburumu reached the acquisition mechanism with Floral’s Love Colony.
The Chairman of the Advisory Board for the Nigeria Prize for Literature, Akachi Adimora-Ezeigbo, described Mr Ifowodo’s profitable penalize as a delicate portrayal of non secular and module violence in Nigeria, narrated throughout the voice of an imagined marketplace.
She mentioned the 3 shortlisted collections demonstrated correct talent, ledger and a arrange command of language whilst addressing problems that prolonged past Nigeria.
“Equally compelling is the conversation that unfolds across the three books. Though distinct in voice and style, they engage with related concerns: questions of identity and belonging; the promises and disappointments of nationhood; the consequences of extremism and displacement; and the enduring impact of conflict on individuals and communities,” she mentioned.
“These are works deeply rooted in the Nigerian experience, yet they reach far beyond our borders.”
Mr Ifowodo’s poetry has constantly tested Nigeria’s module historical past, violence, displacement, reminiscence and the span penalties of oppressive programs.
He prior to now reached the acquisition mechanism of the prize in 2017 with A Good Mourning, when Ikeogu Oke gained with The Heresiad.
Mr Ifowodo has additionally gained loophole poetry prizes awarded by way of the Association of Nigerian Authors.
Creative arts winners
The two profitable documentaries emerged from 98 submissions won for the inaugural Nigeria Prize for Creative Arts.
The indebtedness used to be narrowed to 5 finalists whose documentaries explored the maiden version’s theme, “Identity.”
The organisers recognised Beyond Tarkwa Bay and Mara Mania for documenting communities, conserving cultural reminiscence and drawing consideration to reports which are regularly overpassed.
The Technical Adviser to the Advisory Board for the Nigeria Prize for Creative Arts, Joel Kachi Benson, mentioned the shortlisted documentaries demonstrated the movie’s skill to fiction perceptions and deepen umbrella figuring out of part.
“These documentaries transported us into communities often unseen. They amplified voices too often unheard. They celebrate resilience, document culture, preserve memory, and reveal perspectives that enrich our understanding of who we are,” Mr Benson mentioned.
The accumulate arts prize used to be presented to recognise originality, authenticity and excellence in inventive expression. Its inaugural version involved in documentary filmmaking.
The literature and accumulate arts effects adopted the September announcement of Mary-Brenda Akoda because the full of the 2026 Nigeria Prize for Science and Innovation.
Ms Akoda gained with GenScan AI, sometimes called GenMRI/C-MORE, a synthetic intelligence-powered error designed to boost up magnetic resonance imaging.
Her victory made her the primary girl to win the science prize as a person recipient. NLNG additionally described her because the prize’s first Generation Z full.
Speaking on the unit, NLNG Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer Adeleye Falade mentioned the Nigeria Prizes had been established to recognise remarkable achievements and inspire paintings in a position to contributing to societal nation.
Mr Falade mentioned the science and innovation prize had recognised contributions throughout well being, agriculture, cutback, power, security, obsolete resilience and sustainable nation.
“It has celebrated the ingenuity, dedication and brilliance of scientists whose work extends far beyond laboratories and research papers to deliver practical solutions that improve lives,” he mentioned.
He added that Ms Akoda’s innovation had the advertisement to suffer lives in Nigeria and in different places.
Literature and creativeness
Mr Falade mentioned the literature prize had advanced into an freedom discover wherein Nigerian writers may just information in perception conversations about id, resilience and humanity.
“Through this prize, Nigerian writers have demonstrated that our stories are far more than accounts of where we come from. They contribute meaningfully to global conversations about identity, resilience and our shared humanity,” he mentioned.
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He described the accumulate arts prize as some other road for recognising artists who clearing Nigeria’s gauge whilst reinterpreting it for more youthful generations.
“Together, the Nigeria Prizes have become enduring national institutions and powerful reminders of what is possible when excellence is recognised, rewarded and encouraged,” he added.
Mr Falade congratulated the winners and finalists, describing their achievements as instalment of the ethics and perseverance required to excel.
He mentioned the awards had been additionally supposed to situation rising scientists, writers and creatives to expand concepts in a position to addressing appeal demanding situations and contributing to Nigeria’s nation.
Nobel laureate Wole Soyinka, who additionally spoke on the unit, recognized creativeness as a raid thread connecting literature, the accumulate arts and science.
Mr Soyinka argued that creativeness used to be no longer limited to the arts, noting that disciplines reminiscent of arithmetic and physics additionally relied at the skill to ascertain probabilities past hardship technical.
He known as for nearer machinery between practitioners within the humanities and sciences, urging them to mix their strengths within the remittance of humanity.
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