Henry Akubuiro
Poets in Nigeria (PIN) has announced the shortlist for the fifth edition of the Nigerian Students Poetry Prize (NSPP), which opened for submissions on 15th January, 2020. The shortlisted poems, selected from among five hundred and forty (540) entries, are “Home” by Theophilus Femi Alawonde (University of Ibadan, Ibadan), “Trapped” by Udeoba Ebubechukwu Ifenna (Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University, Uli), “Mama’s Tears” by Gimbiya Galadima (University of Benin, Benin City), “A Poem Where Home Begs for Peace” by Uchechukwu Ezenwa-Ohaeto (Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka).
Others include “On the Other Side of the Wall” by Ndipmong-Uwem Dickson Isaiah (University of Uyo, Uyo), “Letter to a Terrorist” by Omiyale Babatunde Yusuf (University of Ilorin, Ilorin), “The House that Built Me” by Okwubi Godwin Adah (University of Benin, Benin City), “No so” by Samson Abanni (Ebonyi State University Abakaliki), “We Bear Sadness in Our Name” by Biachi Ndidi Anointing (Benue State University, Makurdi), and “A Hymn for the Lost and Empty” by Praise Osawaru (University of Benin, Benin City).
Dr Santosh Bakaya, a member of the judging panel that included Dr. Amanze Akpuda, Naseeba Babale and Gbenga Adeoba, said, “The evaluation process was very sound and fair, where the jury was not aware of the credentials of the poets, hence there was no bias or prior preference.”
Instituted in 2016 to promote literary excellence among Nigerian undergraduates, the prize has had four grand prize winners – Noah Oladele, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife (2016); Bakre Fadil Adedamola, University of Ibadan (2017); Godstime Tamunofiri Iberiyenari, Niger Delta University, Wilberforce Island, Yenagoa (2018) and Ogugua Micah Okoye, Enugu State University of Science and Technology, Enugu (2019).
The prize winners (top three entrants), said the organisers, will receive a total cash prize of five hundred thousand naira (N500,000) at the NSPP Awards slated for Saturday 22, August, 2020, at Virginrose Resorts, Plot 1231A Bishop Oluwole Street, Victoria Island, Lagos (11 a.m).