Three finalists jostle for $100,000 2025 Nigeria Literature Prize as NLNG unveils top contenders in prose fiction from 252 entries; winner to be announced October 10
The Advisory Board for The Nigeria Prize for Literature in September announced the finalists for the 2025 edition of the Prize, with three persons competing for the prize money of $100,000.
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The Nigeria Prize for Literature is sponsored by Nigeria LNG Limited (NLNG).
The finalists for the year were adjudged top contenders for the prize, out of a total of 252 books entered for the competition.
The Prize rotates among four genres of literature: prose fiction, poetry, drama, and children’s literature.
This year’s focus is on prose fiction.
The shortlisted books in alphabetical order of their titles are: Sanya by Oyin Olugbile, The Road to the Country by Chigozie Obioma, and This Motherless Land by Nikki May.
In July 2025, 11 selected works were released in a longlist and recognised by the Advisory Board.
the challenges, which the judges faced this year during adjudication, were daunting and unprecedented.
After a process of adjudication described by the Chairman of the Advisory Board for The Nigeria Prize for Literature, Prof. Akachi Adimora-Ezeigbo, “as intense, rigorous and meticulous”, three authors were unveiled as finalists for this year’s edition of the prize.
Reflecting on the announcement of the shortlist, Prof. Adimora-Ezeigbo described the earlier 11 longlisted books from which the shortlisted works were selected, as excellent entries, adding that the challenges, which the judges faced this year during adjudication, were daunting and unprecedented.
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.
On the 2025 edition focus for the prize, Adimora-Ezeigbo underscored the power of prose fiction in shaping minds, and emphasised the importance of relevance, quality, and imagination in storytelling for the next generation.
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.
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The winner of this prestigious prize will be unveiled at the grand award ceremony slated for October 10, 2025.
