NLNG receives 89 plays for $100,000 Nigeria Prize for Literature

The 2018 Nigeria Prize for Literature will see 89 plays compete for the Nigeria Prize for Literature, the Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas, sponsors of the $100, 000 prize have announced. At an event in Lagos to hand-over the entries to the Advisory Board of the prize, Deputy Managing Director of the company,  Sadeeq Mai-Bornu, represented […]

The 2018 Nigeria Prize for Literature will see 89 plays compete for the Nigeria Prize for Literature, the Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas, sponsors of the $100, 000 prize have announced.

At an event in Lagos to hand-over the entries to the Advisory Board of the prize, Deputy Managing Director of the company,  Sadeeq Mai-Bornu, represented by Acting Manager, Community Relations, Godson Dienye, said stakeholders need to rally around the prize to make sure it is sustainable and take its rightful place in the rank of literary prizes in the world.

“We have received 89 entries this year; lower than what we had in 2014 when drama was also in focus. We must change this trend. All stakeholders must begin to own the prize as theirs and push it to greater heights.  We also received two entries for the Literary Criticism Award competition which unfortunately appears not to attract many entries. I consider this as a huge gap in Nigeria’s literacy space,” he said.

The handover signifies the commencement of the judging process that will colminate in October when a winner of the prize, which this year is focusing on plays, will be announced.

“To the judges, I urge you to demonstrate your usual proficiency in administering and adjudicating the process, knowing that the world is earnestly waiting for your announcement of another legendary work,” Mai Bornu said.

The advisory board, led by professor Emeretus Ayo Banjo, has since passed on the entries to panel of judges led by Professor Matthew Umukoro. Professor Umukoro is a professor of Theatre Arts at the University of Ibadan.

Other members of the panel include Professor Mohammed Inuwa Buratai, a Professor of Theatre and Performing Arts and the Dean of the Faculty of Arts at the Ahmadu Bello University, (ABU), Zaria; and Dr. Mrs Ngozi Udengwu, a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Theatre and Film Studies at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka.

This year’s award will run concurrently with NLNG’s Prize for Literary Criticism for which only two entries were received.

The Nigeria Prize for Literature has since 2004 rewarded eminent writers such as Ikeogu Oke (2017, Poetry) with The Heresiad; Abubakar Adam Ibrahim (2016, Prose) with Season of Crimson Blossoms; Sam Ukala (2014; Drama) with Iredi War, Tade Ipadeola (2013; Poetry) with his collection of poems, Sahara Testaments; Chika Unigwe (2012 – prose), with her novel, On Black Sister’s Street among others.