Poet, lawyer and human rights activist, Ogaga Ifowodo, has won the 2026 edition of The Nigeria Prize for Literature, taking home the $100,000 award for his poetry collection, Why Does God Need a Gun?, which explores the intersection of religious extremism, political power and violence.
Ifowodo was announced as the winner at the grand award night organised by Nigeria LNG Limited (NLNG) in Lagos on Friday.
His collection emerged from a field of 223 entries submitted for this year's competition, which focused on poetry as part of the prize's rotating literary categories.
The two other finalists were James Ngwu Eze, whose entry was Unbind Me Now, and Tares Oburumu, author of Flora’s Love Colony.
The Nigeria Prize for Literature is awarded annually to recognise outstanding literary works by Nigerian writers. Its focus rotates among prose fiction, poetry, drama and children's literature.
Ifowodo's winning collection examines the use of religion and political authority to justify violence, raising questions about faith, power and the human cost of extremism.
A lawyer, writer, activist and columnist, Ifowodo has established himself as a notable voice in contemporary Nigerian poetry. His previous collections include Homeland and Other Poems, Madiba and The Oil Lamp.
His literary works have also received recognition in previous editions of the competition. A Good Mourning was shortlisted for the prize, while Augusta’s Poodle made the longlist.
The latest award adds to his record of literary achievements and places his work among the recognised contributions to Nigerian poetry.
Two filmmakers share inaugural creative arts prize
The award night also marked the presentation of the inaugural Nigeria Prize for Creative Arts, with Peter Oghenetega Oke and Feranmi Abiola emerging as joint winners.
Oke won with Beyond Tarkwa Bay, while Abiola was recognised for Mara Mania. The two winners will share the $20,000 prize.
The inaugural competition attracted 98 submissions and focused on documentary filmmaking under the theme, “Identity”.
The prize was introduced to recognise outstanding creative works by young Nigerian filmmakers and artists, while encouraging stories that reflect the country's people, cultures, communities and national identity.
Through the new category, NLNG is seeking to extend its support for Nigerian creativity beyond literature and scientific innovation, providing another platform for emerging talents to gain recognition.
Science prize winner announced in September
The 2026 Nigeria Prize for Science and Innovation was won by Mary-Brenda Akoda for her GenScan AI innovation, which was announced in September.
The science prize carries an award of $100,000 and is intended to encourage research and innovations capable of addressing challenges and improving lives.
There was no winner in the science category in 2025.
NLNG established The Nigeria Prize for Literature and The Nigeria Prize for Science in 2004 as part of its efforts to promote excellence, reward outstanding achievements and encourage Nigerian contributions to literary and scientific development.
The creative arts award was subsequently introduced to recognise achievements in other areas of artistic expression.
The annual awards ceremony is held around October 9, the date Nigeria LNG recorded its first shipment of liquefied natural gas in 1999.
Over the years, the prizes have become prominent platforms for recognising Nigerian writers, scientists and other creative talents whose work contributes to national development and places Nigerian achievement on the international stage.
Leave a Reply