By Prisca Sam-Duru

In an exciting virtual engagement with the three finalists of the 2025 The Nigeria Prize for Literature which is sponsored by NLNG, Rainbow Book Club, in collaboration with The Nigeria Prize for Literature, highlighted the power of Nigerian storytelling.

The event, a virtual Bookfest, shined a light on Nigeria’s rich literary talent, while celebrating the three finalists for the 2025 Prize. The shortlisted works for the prize which focuses on Prose Fiction this year, include ‘Sanya’ by Oyin Olugbile, ‘The Road to the Country’ by Chigozie Obioma and ‘This Motherless Land’ by Nikki May.

The Bookfest featured engaging readings from the shortlisted books and a Q&A session with the authors, offering participants a deeper look into the stories.

Now in its 21st year, The Nigeria Prize for Literature with a cash prize of $100,000, upholds its tradition of rotating annually between four genres: Prose Fiction, Poetry, Drama, and Children’s Literature. The winner of the 2025 Prize will be announced in October.

Taking her audience through her writing journey, Oyin Olugbile, whose debut novel ‘Sanya’ catapulted her to the shortlist, disclosed that the recognition was surreal.

“I feel like somebody is going to pinch me to wake up,” she confessed. “It has been a dream, and I feel so accomplished. My children tease me, saying, ‘Mummy is an award-winning author,’ and I proudly say, ‘Yes, I am.’ This recognition is an amazing feat and an encouragement to keep going. I am deeply grateful to NLNG and to all the readers who embraced ‘Sanya’ and said such positive things about it.”

For British-Nigerian writer Nikki May, the process of creating one of her characters in This Motherless Land, was both intimate and therapeutic.

“Writing is always hard,” she said adding, “Funke, one of my characters, was surprisingly easy because she is the perfect version of me, the me my father wished I had been. She is the good girl, the one who stayed in university, became a doctor, and fulfilled all the expectations I didn’t. Writing about her was easy in one sense because she felt familiar, but it was also deeply challenging because it meant confronting personal questions about identity, belonging, and home. Writing about Funke was like holding a mirror to myself. It was therapy in the form of fiction.”

During the Bookfest, NLNG’s General Manager, External Relations and Sustainable Development, Sophia Horsfall, congratulated the authors on their achievement. She highlighted that the three novels were selected from an impressive 252 submissions, proving the depth of Nigerian storytelling.

“Literature is more than art,” Horsfall said, stressing “it’s a mirror that reflects who we are as a people and a compass that points us toward progress. Through this Prize, we reaffirm our commitment to preserving our cultural heritage while encouraging new generations of writers to dream, innovate, and inspire.”

Founder and CEO of the Rainbow Book Club, Koko Kolango, commended the partnership with NLNG, emphasizing that events like the Bookfest are essential for connecting writers with their audience and nurturing a love for reading.

“The Nigeria Prize for Literature is not only a reward for excellence but also a tool that inspires writers both at home and in the diaspora. It contributes immensely to Nigeria’s knowledge economy. The business of reading and writing requires collective effort to thrive, and this partnership is a welcome development,” Kolango stated.

She added that the award has significantly boosted Nigeria’s knowledge economy by inspiring both local and international writers, stressing that a collaborative effort is needed to ensure the business of reading and writing continues to flourish.

In her closing remarks, Corporate Communications and Public Affairs Manager at NLNG, Mrs. Anne Maria-Palmer, echoed the enduring value of storytelling.

“Stories matter,” she said, adding “They connect us, they challenge us, they make us laugh, and they remind us of our shared humanity. People sometimes ask why an energy company like NLNG invests so much in literature. My answer is simple: stories are energy. Literature fuels imagination, helps us understand ourselves, and shapes how the world sees us. That is the reason for the Nigeria Prize for Literature matters.”

According to her, while the Prize comes with a $100,000 reward, one of the largest literary prizes in Africa, its impact goes

far beyond financial recognition stressing, “The Prize is about creating a stage where Nigerian writers are heard, where their ideas travel across borders, and where Nigerian literature stands tall among the best in the world.”