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News
The Nigeria Prizes
Sanya by Oyin Olugbile Wins The Nigeria Prize for Literature 2025
Sanya, the novel by Oyin Olugbile, has been announced as the winner of The Nigeria Prize for Literature 2025, one of Africa’s most prestigious literary awards worth USD $100,000.
The announcement was made on 10th October 2025 at the NLNG Grand Award Night in Lagos by Professor Akachi Adimora-Ezeigbo, Chair of the Prize’s Advisory Board. Olugbile’s Sanya was selected from 252 submitted novels.
A Bold Retelling of Yoruba Mythology
Professor Adimora-Ezeigbo commended Olugbile’s innovative storytelling, describing Sanya as “distinct and daring” for its reinterpretation of Yoruba mythology—especially the bold re-imagining of Sango as a female character. She praised Olugbile’s lucid prose and accessible style, noting that the story’s fantastical world draws readers deeply into its mythic universe.
“We were impressed by the quality of the shortlisted novels. Each represents a significant leap in local publishing,”
— Professor Akachi Adimora-Ezeigbo, Chair, Advisory Board, The Nigeria Prize for Literature
Other shortlisted titles for the 2025 edition were The Road to the Country by Chigozie Obioma and This Motherless Land by Nikki May—both acclaimed for their powerful narratives and high production quality.
Celebrating Excellence in Literary Criticism
The 2025 Nigeria Prize for Literary Criticism, worth USD $10,000, was awarded to Okwudiri Anasiudu for his essays exploring African identity and narrative technique, including:
- Afropolitan Identity and Afrodiasporic Otherness in Selected African Novels
- Allegorical Conjectures in Helon Habila’s Measuring Time
- Mimetic Designs in Helon Habila’s Oil on Water
NLNG Announces New Prize for Creative Arts
In a landmark announcement, NLNG Managing Director and CEO, Philip Mshelbila, revealed the introduction of a new category — The Nigeria Prize for Creative Arts, debuting with a focus on Documentary Film.
Mshelbila noted that the new Prize will “inspire a new generation of storytellers to inform, challenge, and connect Nigerians more deeply to who we are as a nation and who we can become.”
He also announced that The Nigeria Prize for Science will be renamed The Nigeria Prize for Science and Innovation, reflecting NLNG’s belief in the synergy between science, creativity, and progress.
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Sanya by Oyin Olugbile Wins The Nigeria Prize for Literature 2025
Sanya, the novel by Oyin Olugbile, has been announced as the winner of The Nigeria Prize for Literature 2025, one of Africa’s most prestigious literary awards worth USD $100,000.
The announcement was made on 10th October 2025 at the NLNG Grand Award Night in Lagos by Professor Akachi Adimora-Ezeigbo, Chair of the Prize’s Advisory Board. Olugbile’s Sanya was selected from 252 submitted novels.
A Bold Retelling of Yoruba Mythology
Professor Adimora-Ezeigbo commended Olugbile’s innovative storytelling, describing Sanya as “distinct and daring” for its reinterpretation of Yoruba mythology—especially the bold re-imagining of Sango as a female character. She praised Olugbile’s lucid prose and accessible style, noting that the story’s fantastical world draws readers deeply into its mythic universe.
“We were impressed by the quality of the shortlisted novels. Each represents a significant leap in local publishing,”
— Professor Akachi Adimora-Ezeigbo, Chair, Advisory Board, The Nigeria Prize for Literature
Other shortlisted titles for the 2025 edition were The Road to the Country by Chigozie Obioma and This Motherless Land by Nikki May—both acclaimed for their powerful narratives and high production quality.
Celebrating Excellence in Literary Criticism
The 2025 Nigeria Prize for Literary Criticism, worth USD $10,000, was awarded to Okwudiri Anasiudu for his essays exploring African identity and narrative technique, including:
- Afropolitan Identity and Afrodiasporic Otherness in Selected African Novels
- Allegorical Conjectures in Helon Habila’s Measuring Time
- Mimetic Designs in Helon Habila’s Oil on Water
NLNG Announces New Prize for Creative Arts
In a landmark announcement, NLNG Managing Director and CEO, Philip Mshelbila, revealed the introduction of a new category — The Nigeria Prize for Creative Arts, debuting with a focus on Documentary Film.
Mshelbila noted that the new Prize will “inspire a new generation of storytellers to inform, challenge, and connect Nigerians more deeply to who we are as a nation and who we can become.”
He also announced that The Nigeria Prize for Science will be renamed The Nigeria Prize for Science and Innovation, reflecting NLNG’s belief in the synergy between science, creativity, and progress.
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