$100,000 race: NLNG releases 11-book longlist for 2026 Nigeria Prize for Literature - ITREALMS

Eleven outstanding poetry collections have successfully emerged on the longlist for the 2026 edition of The Nigeria Prize for Literature, advancing in the race for Africa’s premier literary award and its accompanying $100,000 cash prize, reports ITREALMS.

The announcement was officially issued by the Chairperson of the Prize’s Advisory Board, Prof. Akachi Adimora-Ezeigbo, following a rigorous screening process of 223 submissions by the panel of judges.

Arranged in alphabetical order by book title, the eleven works contending for the prestigious honor are:

Adult Love — Tanure Ojaide
Bakandimiya — Saddiq Dzukogi
Black Passport — Paul Akpomuje
2000 Blacks — Ajibola Tolase
Ceremony for The Nameless — Theresa Lola
Corpus: Animistic Verses — Ayo Oyeku
Floral’s Love Colony — Tares Oburumu
The Origin of Wounds — Malik Gbolahan
The Years of Blood — Adebayo Agarau
Unbind Me Now — James Ugwu Eze
Why Does God Need a Gun — Ogaga Ifowodo

Reflecting on the selection, Prof. Adimora-Ezeigbo described the longlist announcement as a critical landmark in the 2026 cycle, praising the artistic depth, diversity, and intellectual rigor displayed across the submissions.

She highlighted that the selected collections demonstrate poetry's profound capacity to interrogate historical narratives, illuminate human suffering, and explore individual resilience against social fragmentation.

"Many employ densely poetic, allegorical, and elegiac modes that invite multiple layers of interpretation, while others draw extensively on folklore, oral traditions, and contemporary realities to create a compelling fusion of past and present," Prof. Adimora-Ezeigbo stated. "Their language is generally fluid, evocative, and aesthetically refined, relying on vivid imagery, emotional resonance, and intellectual sophistication."

She emphasized that the upcoming evaluation stage will subject the works to intense scrutiny focusing on linguistic dexterity, structural form, originality, and lasting literary value.

With the release of the 11-title longlist, the competition now moves into its critical evaluation phase:

August 2026: Announcement of the Shortlist of Three.

October 2026: Formal announcement and presentation of the $100,000 Grand Winner.

Sponsored by Nigeria LNG Limited (NLNG), The Nigeria Prize for Literature is currently in its 22nd year. The award rotates annually across four distinct literary genres: Prose Fiction, Poetry, Drama, and Children’s Literature, with the 2026 cycle dedicated exclusively to Poetry.

Uj. N. Dominic/Editor