May, Obioma, Olugbile emerge finalists @The Nigeria Prize for Literature 2025 - ITREALMS

ITREALMS ... making leadership SENSE with digital news!

The race for Africa’s most prestigious literary honour, The Nigeria Prize for Literature, has reached its climax as the Advisory Board on Thursday announced the three finalists for the 2025 edition of the competition.

In contention for the $100,000 prize, sponsored by Nigeria LNG Limited (NLNG), are Oyin Olugbile, with her novel Sanya; Chigozie Obioma, with The Road to the Country; and Nikki May, with This Motherless Land. The eventual winner will be unveiled at a grand award ceremony scheduled for October 10, 2025.
Speaking at the announcement, the Chair of the Advisory Board, Professor Akachi Adimora-Ezeigbo, described the adjudication process as intense and rigorous, adding that the quality of submissions made this year’s cycle one of the most competitive in the prize’s history. According to her, the final shortlist reflects exceptional mastery of storytelling, characterisation, and language, as well as unflinching engagement with urgent societal themes.

“These novels are not just stories, they are carefully woven realities,” she said. “They stir the emotions, confront familiar yet pressing social issues, and showcase the skill and literary standing of their authors. It has been inspiring to witness such creativity and passion from Nigerian writers.”

She also commended the earlier longlisted authors, describing their entries as excellent, while acknowledging the challenges faced by the judges in narrowing the field to just three finalists.

This year’s judging panel is chaired by Associate Professor Saeedat Bolajoko Aliyu of Kwara State University, with other members including Professor Stephen Mbanefo Ogene of Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, and Mr. Olakunle Kasumu, writer, filmmaker and host of Channels Book Club.

The judges highlighted the unique strengths of the shortlisted works. Olugbile’s Sanya was praised for its fast-paced intrigue and captivating storyline, Obioma’s The Road to the Country for its powerful exploration of love, brotherhood and the devastation of war, while May’s This Motherless Land was lauded for its emotional intensity, brilliant writing and cross-cultural resonance.

The Nigeria Prize for Literature, which rotates annually across four genres; prose fiction, poetry, drama and children’s literature, remains a beacon of excellence in the continent’s literary landscape. The 2025 cycle, focusing on prose fiction, has once again affirmed the vibrancy, depth and global relevance of Nigerian storytelling.