Profile of The Winners for Literature

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Profile of The Winners

Winners of The Nigeria Prize for Literature

Olubunmi Familoni

Olubunmi Familoni

Winner, The Nigeria Prize for Literature 2024

Olubunmi Familoni writes plays, short fiction, and essays. His collection of stories, Smithereens of Death, won the ANA Prize for Short Stories in 2015.

Obari Gomba

Obari Gomba

Winner, The Nigeria Prize for Literature 2023

Obari Gomba won The Nigeria Prize for Literature (2023)

Romeo Oriogun

Romeo Oriogun

Winner, The Nigeria Prize for Literature 2022

Romeo Oriogun is the winner of The Nigeria Prize for Literature 2022 with his book of poems Nomad.  Romeo is also the author of  Sacrament of Bodies.

Cheluchi Onyemeluke-Onuobia

Cheluchi Onyemeluke-Onuobia

Literature Prize Winner For 2021

Cheluchi Onyemeluke-Onuobia is the winner of The Nigeria Prize for Literature 2021 with her book The son of the House

Jude Idada - 2019 winner of The Nigeria Prize for Literature

Jude Idada

Literature Prize Winner For 2019

Jude Idada is not just any The Nigeria Prize for Literature Laurette; he was also the youngest in 2019. Born in 1993 in Lagos, Jude was a science-based student in his school days but insisted in following his passion in writing and the arts.

Soji Cole

Soji Cole

Literature Prize Winner For 2018

Soji Cole is a Nigerian academic, playwright and author. He is the 2018 winner of The Nigeria Prize for Literature with his book, Embers. Embers was also listed as one of the best Nigerian books for 2018 by Dailytrust Newspaper.

Ikeogu Oke

Ikeogu Oke

Literature Prize Winner For 2017

Ikeogu Oke was one of Nigeria’s greatest poet, journalist and advocate. His poetry collection The Heresaid won The Nigeria Prize for Literature in 2017.

Abubakar Ibrahim

Abubakar Ibrahim

Literature Prize Winner For 2016

Abubakar Ibrahim is a journalist who struck a nerve with his debut short story collections The Wispering Trees, published in 2012.

Prof Sam Ukala

Prof Sam Ukala

Literature Prize Co-winner For 2014

Sam Ukala is a Nigerian playwright, poet, short story writer, actor, theatre director, film producer and academic. Currently, he is a Professor of Theatre Arts and Drama at Delta State University, Abraka.

Tade Ipadeola

Tade Ipadeola

Literature Prize Winner For 2013

Tade Ipadeola is a legal luminary and respected Nigerian poet. He won the Nigerian Prize for Literature with his poetry collection Sahara Testament in 2013.

Dr. Chika Unigwe

Dr. Chika Unigwe

Literature Prize Winner For 2012

Dr. Chika Unigwe is one of the few multi-lingual African authors who writes in English and Dutch languages. The winner of 2003 BBC Short Story Competition and a Commonwealth Short Story Competition award (2012)...

Adeleke Adeyemi’s Missing Clock

Adeleke Adeyemi

Literature Prize Winner For 2011

Adeleke Adeyemi’s Missing Clock was the second first book to win The Nigeria Prize for Literature on 2011. Writing with the pen name, Mai-Nasara, the author became the first to go home with a $100,000.00 for the prize.

Esiaba Irobi

Esiaba Irobi

Literature Prize Winner For 2010

Esiaba Irobi (1960-2010) was a distinguished Nigerian playwright, poet, stage director, actor, literary theorist and scholar. Esiaba Irobi, never really got the full recognition that he eminently deserved until he passed on.

Kaine Agary and her Yellow Yellow book

Kaine Agary

Literature Prize Winner For 2008

Kaine Agary’s Yellow Yellow was the first to win her a $50,000 coveted prize for The Nigeria Prize for Literature in 2008 and also the first debut Novel to ever win the prize.

Mabel Segun - Readers’ Theatre

Mrs. Mabel Segun

Literature Prize Winner For 2007

Mrs Mabel Segun born in 1930 was a joint winner of the prize in 2007 with her book Readers’ Theatre. She is a broadcaster, sports woman and importantly, a poet, playwright and teacher and author of children’s literature.

Prof Akachi-Adimora Ezeigbo

Prof Akachi-Adimora Ezeigbo

Literature Prize Winner For 2007

My Cousin Sammy is the children’s literature that won the Nigeria Prize for Literature 2007 for Prof Adimora-Ezeigbo. She won the prize with Mrs Mabel Segun’s Reader’s Theatre.

Prof Ahmed Yerima

Prof Ahmed Yerima

Literature Prize Winner For 2006

In 2006, Prof Ahmed Yerima’s stunning book on the militancy situation in The Niger Delta entitled Hard Ground beat other drama books to win the Nigeria Prize for Literature. Yerima, a respected Nigerian academic, dramatist and theatre director...

Prof Ezenwa Ohaeto

Prof Ezenwa Ohaeto

Literature Prize Co-winner For 2005

With his poetry book, Chants of the Minstrel, Ezenwa Ohaeto, a Professor of English and lecturer at English department, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, became the first co-winner of the coveted $20,000 The Nigeria Prize for Literature in 2005.

Dr Gabriel Okara

Gabriel Okara

Literature Prize Co-winner For 2005

Gabriel Okara was one of the greatest Nigerian poets, read widely even during the precolonial days. Born in 1921 at Bumoundi in Bayelsa State, Nigeria,