Sincere, heartwarming message to Nigerian writers at home and in diaspora
By Akachi Adimora-Ezeigbo
THE year 2025 has revealed the enormous literary talent this country is blessed with. The number and quality of prose works submitted for the 2025 edition of The Nigeria Prize for Literature (NPL) is phenomenal! Unprecedented! We should all be proud of ourrselves as writers. We are a force to be reckoned with on the continent and beyond. And it’s “forward ever and backwards never”, for Nigerian literature is the literature of the future globally. Our writers are doing great at home and in the diaspora. And Nigeria LNG Limited is a strong factor in this great success story. Long live The Nigeria Prize for Literature! Long live NLNG!
The adjudication process for the 2025 edition of The Prize is at the level of the longlist which was released on July 23, 2025. I congratulate the longlisted authors for their excellent works. Well done! I must quickly add that there are many good books among the 252 entries received, and it was a hard task for the judges to select the best 11 – there are simply very many good books. My advice to every author, whether you are on the longlist or not, is “promote your book as much as you can.” I have always believed in promoting my books; I still promote my debut novel, The Last of the Strong Ones, published in 1996, almost 30 years ago (before some of you reading this message were born!). And my other titles, as many of you who have read them know.
Be assured that the Panel of Judges and the Advisory Board will protect the integrity of The prize and ensure that EXCELLENCE – merit – remain the criterion for selecting the shortlist and finally the winning book(s) by October 2025.
For your information, below is the press release by The Prize’s Adminstration:
23 August 2025
Port Harcourt
Heavyweights Battle for $100,000 in The Nigeria Prize for Literature 2025
‘What was once described as a fiercely competitive 2025 edition of The Nigeria Prize for Literature now appears to have been an underestimation of the intensity of the race. The Prize’s Advisory Board on Wednesday revealed the Longlist of 11 titles, setting the stage for an epic battle for the prestigious literary prize.
‘The list of the best 11 prose works, arranged in alphabetical order of the book titles:
An Unusual Grief by Yewande Omotoso
Fine Dreams by Linda Masi
Leave my Bones in Saskatoon by Michael Afenfia
New York My Village by Uwem Akpan
PETRICHOR, The Scent of a New Beginning by Ayo Oyeku
Sanya by Oyin Olugbile
The Middle Daughter by Chika Unigwe
The Road to the Country by Chigozie Obioma
This Motherless Land by Nikki May
Water Baby by Chioma Okereke
When We Were Fireflies by Abubakar Adam Ibrahim
The prize is sponsored by NLNG and offers a cash award of USD$100,000 to the author of the winning book at a grand ball event in October. The event commemorates the company’s first LNG loading in October 1999. The prize rotates annually across four genres: prose fiction, poetry, drama, and children’s literature.
Speaking on the unveiling of the long list, the Chairman of Advisory Board for the Prize, Professor Akachi Adimora-Ezeigbo, stated that the Advisory Board is excited with the longlist of 11 books that have made it from 252 submitted for the 2025 edition. She stated that, from this stage of the longlist onward, the prize will evoke a mix of emotions both within the stories themselves and in response to the selection of finalists and the eventual winner(s) of the USD$100,000 prize.
“In sifting through the 252 submissions, the judges have not only selected 11 books, they have unveiled narratives that embody the standards of literary excellence. These books are windows into diverse worlds, each brimming with depth, emotion, and craftsmanship. As we move from this longlist to the finalists and ultimately the winner, the journey promises to be one of profound emotional resonance, with each page of these works drawing us closer to a deserving champion. The 2025 edition will surely be a celebration of the power of storytelling at its finest,” she said.
Professor Adimora-Ezeigbo underscored the power of prose fiction in shaping minds, and emphasized the importance of relevance, quality, and imagination in storytelling for the next generation. She commended the judges for a thoughtful and rigorous selection and reiterated the Advisory Board’s commitment to excellence in literature and nurturing a strong reading culture.
