The search for the next Laureate has begun

The entries were first handed over to the Chairman of the Advisory Board, Prof Ayo Banjo which he in turn, handed over to the Chairperson of the Panel of Judges for this year’s Prize, Professor Uwemedimo Enobong Iwoketok of the University of Jos at an event in Eko Hotels and Suites.

The initiative rotates yearly among the four literary categories of prose fiction, poetry, drama and children’s literature. The prize is what a total of $100,000.

Speaking at the ceremony, the General Manager External Affairs, NLNG, Kudo Eresia Eke who said that this year’s focus is on Children’s Literature. He added that submissions were examined and shortlisted based on a number of considerations including editorial excellence, creativity and story plot with the aim of selecting a final winner who would be publicly announced in October each year to coincide with the date NLNG shipped its first Liquefied Natural Gas cargo.

Eresia further disclosed that Prof. Uwemedimo Enobong Iwoketok of the University of Jos, is Chairperson while Prof. Charles Bodunde of the University of Ilorin and the University of Maiduguri’s Dr. Razinat Mohammed, are members of the panel of judges.

The Chairman of the Advisory Board for the Prize remains Professor Emeritus Ayo Banjo, while Profs. Ben Elugbe and Jerry Agada are members adding that Kimberly Reynolds, a Professor of Children’s Literature at Newcastle University in the United Kingdom and past President of the International Research Society for Children’s Literature is this year’s International Consultant to the Advisory Board.

“We have received a hundred and nine books as submissions by Nigerian authors to compete for this year’s prize in children’s literature. I can only wish all the authors vying for the honour, every success and the best outcome possible in the exercise.

It will be recalled that the last winner of the literature prize in the children’s literature category was Adeleke Adeyemi in 2011 for The Missing Clock while Mabel Segun and Prof. Akachi Adimora-Ezeigbo were joint winners for the Reader’s Theatre and My cousin Sammy in 2007.” He said.

Eke also said that this year’s award for children’s literature would run concurrently with the Prize for literary criticism also sponsored by NLNG and for which only one entry was received. Introduced in 2012, the literary criticism category is yearly award and carries a monetary value of N1 Million.

Also speaking at the occasion, the Chairman of the Advisory Board, Prof. Ayo Banjo who said he was satisfied with achievements of the Prize, said that he was happy that the Nigeria prize for Literature has celebrated its 10th anniversary and counting.

He noted that the simple fact that Children’s literature is not as developed as the other genres of Literature, would not force the Prize to lower its standard.

He also expressed how proud the Advisory Board had been with the fact that the External Consultant had always made selections that were in conformity with the decisions of the internal panel of judges expressing the hope that this year’s edition would not be an exception.

The Chairperson of the panel of Judges, Prof. Umemedimo Enobong Iwoketok, stated that the panel received the great responsibility from NLNG, the advisory board and indeed from all Nigerians and assured that the confidence reposed on the panel would be sustained.