By Henry Akubuiro
17 years since the first prize winner was announced, the Nigeria Prize for Literature, sponsored by Nigeria NLNG, has assumed a life of its own. Each year, curiosity is set apace in expectation of a new laureate. Joy is enkindled at the crowning moment as a new hero emerges.
The competition runs a four-year cycle that revolves around four literary genres: Prose Fiction, Poetry, Drama and Children’s Literature. Though it was established In 2014, it wasn’t until 2015 that the first joint winners of the prize were announced, putting to rest the disappointment of the previous year when hopes were raised by the prospects of the prize and dashed in the twinkling of an eye.
The Nigeria Prize for Literature is administered by an Advisory Board made up of members from the Nigerian Academy of Letters and Association of Nigerian Authors. Until now, the glamorous prize had recorded over 1,851 entries for 16 competitions that have produced 12 winning works since its commencement in 2004. The Nigerian literary community is looking forward to the 13th winner by October, 2022.
The sponsors of the prize believes that, with The Nigeria Prize for Literature, it is expected that the quest for a prestigious prize will improve the quality of writing, editing, proof-reading, and publishing in the country with far-reaching positive effect on print, broadcast journalism, film and theatre production.
In setting up the prize, NLNG reckoned that Nigeria became the first in Africa to produce a Nobel Laureate in Literature in the person of Prof. Wole Soyinka and it also produced one of the most decorated authors in the world, Prof. Chinua Achebe, whose book, Things Fall Apart, translated into more than 61 languages, among other significant writers.
However, prior to inauguration of the Prize, the organisers of the Nigeria Prize for Literature said the quality of writings and publishing didn’t paint a picture of the excellence the industry was previously known for, which informed the setting up of the annual prize.
“It therefore became evident to us at Nigeria LNG that a well-run literary prize with transparent adjudication process, administered by respected academics, writers and lovers of literature, and with respectable monetary reward will spur creativity and contribute to the improvement of the quality of writing, editing and publishing in Nigeria. The rest, as they say, is history,” said the organisers.
Odili Ujubuonu, a novelist, has followed the progress of the prize since inception. He was longlisted for the prize in 2008, and believes that the prize has made a big difference to the Nigerian literary community.
He told The Sun Literary Review: “As a writer, I know that being judged by the best is both motivating and reassuring of one’s efforts. Winning doesn’t come easy, but being judged to be among the nominees for 2008 gave me the needed confidence to continue with this special labour of love.
“Having said these, the prize has made Nigerian writers, big publishers, smaller independent publishers, the self publishing writer and the rest of the value chain to improve their crafts. Books are better edited, covers are more appealing, bookshops have Nigerian fiction sections and above all writers are beginning to get their well-deserved respect.”
No doubt, the annual prize has impacted positively on the quality of the Nigerian publishing value chain, I however, believe that there is still room for improvement. For one, “The level of publicity in recent years needs a little more push. Apart from that the prize has done really well,” said Ujubuonu.
Abubakar Adam Ibrahim, the author of the novel, Season of Crimson Blossoms, won the 2016 edition of the prize. Like Ujubuonu, he thinks the prize has impacted both craft and publication in terms of giving writers something lofty to aim at.
“Where as in the past, and sadly this still happens in some cases, book production quality is abysmal, we have seen standards improve for those who are thinking of entering for the prize. In terms of craft, I think some writers have looked at some of the winning entries and tried to raise their craft to a certain level to stand a chance of winning.
“Where as I think writers should write, not for prizes, but for the craft and because they have an important story to tell, I think having the prize as a standard or a target to aim at has been beneficial for the literature as a whole.”
On a personal, perhaps the greatest beneficiaries of the 100,000 are the award winners themselves, who get both validation and monetary rewards. Ibrahim reflected: “I remember being on a panel with two or three other previous winners and the consensus seemed to be that winning the prize has been beneficial to the finances of the winners. It has presented them with quite a few challenges, as well, like the depersonalisation, if you like, of the author from being human to being perceived as a cash machine with people making all sorts of demands on them.
“Suddenly, not much care is paid to the writer’s wellbeing as a person, just people asking for this or that. In the final analysis, I think that is a good problem to have rather than having a brilliant writer running around looking for rent at the expense of their creativity.
“I, of course, can’t speak to the experience of all the other winners but personally, it was challenging finding the right balance between just wanting to sit down and write and having to navigate being everyone’s go-to guy for financial problems, some genuine and valid others patently laughable. It takes some getting used to.”
Overall, Ibrahim believes the Nigeria Prize for Literature has changed the literary landscape of Nigeria. “It has made writers millionaires and made writing cool. That will always be good. I think more corporate organisations need to step in and provide sponsorship for literature, create contests, platforms and opportunities and means of getting more books in people’s hands. We can’t change a people without changing their mindsets, and we all know how badly Nigeria needs to change, and literature and is a vital instrument in achieving this.”
Winning the prize was a humbling experience for Adam: “The little things mattered, like having my mum there to witness that occasion. I remember going over to her table and hugging her and how proud she was. I remember being surprised by all the different people who travelled long distances to be there and I remember fondly the moment the entire audience of distinguished personalities, some of the finest intellectuals in the country, and my superiors giving me a standing ovation, and how proud that made my mum and my family. Fond memories. Fond memories, indeed.”
Adam’s joy wasn’t in isolation. A roll call of who have won the glamorous prize and taken home millions of naira to motivate their writings include: 2021 —The Son of the House (prose) by Cheluchi Onyemelukwe-Onuobia; 2019 —Boom Boom (children’s literature) by Jude Idada; 2018 —Embers (drama) by Soji Cole; 2017 —The Heresiad (poetry) by Ikeogu Oke; 2016 —Season of Crimson Blossoms (prose) by Abubakar Adam Ibrahim.
In 2015, which was dedicated to children’s literature, there was no winner, as the Advisory Board didn’t find any book worthy of the prize. Emeritus Professor Ayo Banjo, who chaired the Advisory Board then, lamented: “The entries this year fall short of this expectation, as each book was found to manifest incompetence in the use of language. Many of them showed very little or no evidence of good editing, …Hence, there will be no winner this year.”
However, the year before produced a winner in Prof Sam Ukala with Iredi War (drama). Other winners included The Sahara Testament (poetry) by Tade Ipadeola, 2013; On Black Sister’s Street (prose) by Dr. Chika Unigwe, 2012; The Missing Clock by Mai Nasara, 2011; Cemetery Road by Dr. Esiaba Irobi (poetry), 2010. For the poetry prize in 2009, there was no winner.
Other winners were Yellow Yellow (children’s literature) by Kaine Agary 2007; My Cousin Sammy by Akachi Ezeigbo and Readers’ Theatre: Twelve Plays for Young People by Akachi Adimora-Ezeigbo and Mabel Segun, 2006; Hard Ground (drama) by Dr. Ahmed Yerima, 2005; Chants of a Minstrel (poetry) and The Dreamer: His Vision by Professor Ezenwa Ohaeto and Dr. Gabriel Okara (joint winners).
Celebrated scholar and award-winning author, Prof Akachi Adimora-Ezeigbo, currently head the Advisory Board for Literature. She is an emeritus professor of English at the University of Lagos. Other members include Professors Olu Obafemi and Ahmed Yerima. Both Prof Ezeigbo were former winners of the prize.
In them lies the mandate to build up on the momentum of the annual prize, starting with the announcement of a shortlist of three in September and the winner in October, 2022. The literary world waits with baited breath.