By Damiete Braide
In what promises to be the most competitive year in its two-decade history, the 2025 edition of The Nigeria Prize for Literature has received a staggering 252 entries, a record-breaking number that signals a new era for Nigerian literary achievement.
The announcement was made during a press conference held in Lagos, where representatives of Nigeria LNG (NLNG), the prize’s sponsor, officially handed over the entries to the Prize’s Advisory Board and panel of judges.
The Nigeria Prize for Literature, established in 2004 and endowed with a prize of $100,000, is widely regarded as Africa’s most prestigious literary award. Rotating annually across four genres, prose fiction, poetry, drama, and children’s literature, the prize continues to elevate Nigerian voices on the global literary stage.
This year, prose fiction is the focus, and with 252 submissions, it has surpassed both the 2024 cycle (which had 163 entries) and the 2021 prose fiction cycle that received 202.
Representing NLNG’s General Manager for External Relations and Sustainable Development, Sophia Horsfall, was Anne-Marie Palmer-Ikuku, Manager, Corporate Communication and Public Affairs.
Speaking at the ceremony, Palmer-Ikuku attributed the surge in submissions to a renewed wave of literary creativity in Nigeria and a growing international appreciation for Nigerian storytelling.
“This year’s record entries reaffirm the prize’s impact, proving that Nigerian literature is not only thriving but also commanding greater global recognition,” she said.
“It also testifies to the ingenuity, dedication, and relentless drive of not only the writers but the judges, advisory boards, and all who make this initiative possible. Nigeria LNG remains deeply committed to promoting excellence in literature and fostering a love for reading among Nigerians.”
The atmosphere at the event was charged with anticipation. As the entries were handed over to the Advisory Board, chaired by renowned scholar and past prize winner Professor Akachi Adimora-Ezeigbo, the sense of responsibility to uphold the Prize’s legacy of rigour and distinction was palpable.
Professor Adimora-Ezeigbo expressed great optimism about the volume and quality of entries. She noted that the richness and diversity of the submissions would not only make the adjudication process more dynamic but also raise the bar for literary standards in the country.
“This year’s competition is not just a contest,” she said. “It is a celebration of Nigerian voices, a testament to our deep well of stories and talent. We look forward to the selection process with great excitement. We believe it will be one of the most engaging and perhaps the most difficult, given the calibre of works submitted.”
She urged the panel of judges to approach their role with fairness, integrity, and objectivity, values that have defined the Nigeria Prize for Literature since its inception.
The judging panel for 2025 is made up of some of the most respected figures in the African literary and media spaces. Chairing the panel is Professor Saeedat Bolajoko Aliyu of the Department of English and Linguistics Studies at Kwara State University. She is joined by Professor Stephen Mbanefo Ogene of Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, and Mr. Olakunle Kasumu, a writer, producer, filmmaker, and host of Channels Book Club.
The international consultant for this year’s edition is Dr. Grace Musila, an Associate Professor in the Department of African Literature at the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, South Africa.
Professor Aliyu, in her remarks, praised NLNG, the Prize Secretariat, and the Advisory Board for their consistency in celebrating and rewarding literary and critical excellence.
“I see this as a tradition, a culture, that has lasted over two decades,” she said. “These prizes do more than honour writers and critics; they put Nigerian literature on the global map. They celebrate the creative and critical minds who shape how we understand our world through literature.”
The 2025 competition also includes The Nigeria Prize for Literary Criticism, which received 37 entries this year. This prize, which awards $10,000 to the winner, honours academic and critical work that advances the study and appreciation of Nigerian literature.
In addition to encouraging creative expression, the Criticism Prize acknowledges the importance of scholarly interpretation and debate in building a vibrant literary culture.
Professor Aliyu emphasised that the duty of the judges extends beyond selecting the best submissions. It also includes safeguarding the integrity and transparency of the process, ensuring that the Nigeria Prizes remained among the most respected and coveted literary honours in the world.
“Our role is to uphold the highest standards, not just in determining the winner but in validating the entire process,” she added. “The credibility of the Prize lies in how it is adjudicated, with impartiality, diligence, and excellence.”
As anticipation builds, literary observers, writers, publishers, and readers across Nigeria and the Diaspora eagerly await the shortlist, which will be announced in the coming months. The eventual winner will join an illustrious list of past laureates, including Kaine Agary (Yellow Yellow, 2008), Chika Unigwe (On Black Sisters’ Street, 2012), Abubakar Adam Ibrahim (Season of Crimson Blossoms, 2016), and Cheluchi Onyemelukwe-Onuobia (The Son of the House, 2020/21).
Notably, the inaugural edition of the prize in 2004 did not produce a winner, underscoring the Prize’s high standards.
The 2025 edition promises to be an epic literary showdown, not only for the fierce competition it heralds but for the renewed energy it brings to Nigerian literature. With 252 stories waiting to be heard, it is a bold statement: Nigeria is writing, and the world is listening.