Hunt for Romeo Oriogun’s successor begins in count down to CORA-NLNG Book Party, GAN 2026
By Anote Ajeluorou
IT seems all quiet on Africa’s biggest literary rewards’ front, The Nigeria Prize for Literature 2026. But this is not entirely true, as judges are believed to have started sifting through the 223 entries and separating the chaff from the wheat. Although the prize secretariat is unusually silent this year in naming them two months after entries ended. It’s a race for the bright poet who will succeed Romeo Oriogun as poet laureate. Oriogun won the prestigious USD$100,000 prize in 2022 with his poetry collection, Nomad. The prize is sponsored by NLNG, a gas company based in Bonny island, Rivers State. Since Oriogun’s win, three writers have also won the prize. In drama Obari Gomba in 2023 with his play, Grit, Olubunmi Familoni in 2024 with his children’s book, The Road Does Not End and Oyin Olugbile in 2025 with her novel, Sanya.
Later this month, the longlist of 11 poets would have been out. And they will grace the stage to whet the appetite of culture lovers and literature consumers at the yearly CORA-NLNG Book Party scheduled for early August; the party heralds the grand prize award in early October. With a lot of frenetic activities among writers and publishers early in the year to get books ready to meet the prize’s deadline, it’s expected that this year’s prize will be keenly contested as usual with 223 poets vying for the huge prize money.
At the handover of the 223 entries for The Nigeria Prize for Literature 2026 in Lagos last April, the General Manager, External Relations and Sustainable Development, NLNG, Dr. Sophia Horsfall, represented by the Manager, Government Relations, NLNG, Abdul Umar, assured that of the integrity of the prize and quality of the works.
“We have provided the platform, but the credibility of the Prize rests on the integrity of its process and the quality of the works it attracts,” she said. “Over the years, this Prize has done more than recognise talent. In alignment with NLNG’s core value of excellence, this Prize has contributed to the growth of reading culture, encouraged discipline in writing, and sustained a space where Nigerian literature can continue to develop with confidence. What is fascinating is that yearly, the Nigeria Prize for Literature ignites a spirited conversation that extends far beyond the bounds of the literary community.”
She had continued, “With every new cycle, it sparks anticipation, debate, critical reflection, and cultural engagement, drawing national attention to the role of literature as both a mirror and moulder of society. The Prize creates an important public moment in which ideas are contested, stories are examined, and the voices of Nigerian writers are amplified. In doing so, it sustains a vibrant tradition of intellectual exchange and reinforces literature’s capacity to provoke thought, inspire dialogue, and deepen national consciousness. We have the media to thank for igniting some of these conversations and we urge you to continue in your good work of bringing both the art and the writers to limelight.”
Corporate Affairs Manager, NLNG, Anne-Maria Palmer-Ikuku (left); Manager, Government Relations, NLNG, Abdul Umar handing over entries to the Advisory Board Chairperson, Prof. Akachi Adimora-Ezeigbo while her fellow board members – Professors Olu Obafemi and Ahmed Yerima – look on
The entries were received from the prize’s secretariat by the Advisory Board Chairperson, Prof. Akachi Adimora-Ezeigbo, who stated the expectations from the literary and culture community were about the prize process. According to her, “The Advisory Board, working closely with the panel of judges, ensures that every entry is read thoroughly and independently. Where necessary, we interrogate the works, raise questions, and assess them against a standard that has been carefully built, refined, and sustained over time. We have continually assured the literary community that their work will be taken seriously, and that assurance is underpinned by a meticulous adjudication process that promotes fairness, balance, and equity.”
While the wait for Oriogun’s successor continues, poet laureates, who had emerged before him were Okeogu Oke who won in 2017 with The Heresiad, Tade Ipadeola with The Sahara Testaments in 2013, the elderly duo of Gabriel Okara and Ezenwa Ohaeto joint winners with The Dreamer, His Vision and Chants of the Minstrel respectively in 2005. The two co-winners have since joined the ancestral pantheon. The no-winner verdict in 2009 ensured that poetry lagged behind alongside children’s literature (2015) in the prize’s fifth circle of prize awards so far. As poetry prize category goes for the sixth circle of award, expectations are high among Nigerian poets and writers generally. Masobe Books, the publisher of Sanya by Olugbile, the winning prose fiction prize in 2025, has had a flurry of poetry publishing activities this season with more than 10 poetry titles to its credit.
Of course, other publishers have done remarkably well also in the feverish pitch to get a pie of the only substantial literary prize reward available to Nigerian writers. From Narrative Landscape Press to Noirledge Publishing to Fairchild Media and other indie publishers, it has been a busy poetry season both for writers and publishers. Readers will get acquainted with the 11 best longlisted poetry books 2026 when they are unveiled at the CORA-NLNG Book Party early August, when the 11 poets and their exceptional poetry books will be celebrated in a gathering of Nigeria’s culture community before the Grand Award Night (GAN) in October 2026.
