Three poets make final shortlist for 2026 Nigeria Prize for Literature
From political violence and social dysfunction to Nigeria’s troubled history, the three shortlisted poetry collections confront the realities shaping the country.
James Ngwu Eze, Ogaga Ifowodo and Tares Oburumu have emerged as the three finalists for the 2026 Nigeria Prize for Literature, with their poetry collections exploring themes ranging from political and religious violence to Nigeria’s troubled social history.
Eze’s Unbind Me Now, Ifowodo’s Why Does God Need A Gun? and Oburumu’s Flora’s Love Colony were selected from 11 works that made the longlist announced in July. The three finalists emerged from an initial field of 223 submissions.
The final selection highlights the range of issues being tackled by contemporary Nigerian poets, with the shortlisted collections examining the country’s social and political realities through different literary styles.
Chairperson of the Advisory Board of the Nigeria Prize for Literature and 2008 winner, Prof. Akachi Adimora Ezeigbo, described the selection process as demanding, given the number of entries considered by the judges.
She said the three shortlisted works stood out for their literary quality, originality and ability to engage with readers and the wider world.
Also Read: 73% of Nigerian youth consider leaving as jobs, capital remain scarce
The judging panel praised Eze’s Unbind Me Now for its fluid and aesthetically engaging use of language. According to the jury, the collection examines sociopolitical dysfunction in Nigeria and beyond while confronting questions about the human condition and the possibility of redemption.
Ifowodo’s Why Does God Need A Gun? takes a different approach, focusing on religious and political violence in Nigeria through allegory. The jury said the collection examines the forces behind contemporary global challenges through a structure built around the body, mind and spirit.
Oburumu’s Flora’s Love Colony, meanwhile, engages with Nigeria’s troubled history. The judges described the work as a densely poetic collection that challenges established narratives and combines socio-historical themes with imagery and evocative language.
The shortlist brings the competition closer to the final stage, with one of the three poets set to receive this year’s Nigeria Prize for Literature.
The 2026 edition is the 22nd since the prize was established and is dedicated to poetry. The prize rotates annually among four genres: prose fiction, poetry, drama and children’s literature.
The Nigeria Prize for Literature is sponsored by the Nigeria LNG Limited as part of its efforts to promote literary excellence and support the development of Nigeria’s literary culture.
With the three finalists drawing on political violence, social dysfunction and historical memory in markedly different ways, this year’s competition also offers a snapshot of how Nigerian poetry continues to respond to the realities shaping the country and the wider world.
