Nigeria Prize For Literature Receives 163 Entries In Children’s Literature Series.

The 2024 edition of The Nigerian Prize for Literature, sponsored by the Nigerian LNG Limited, NLNG, has received One Hundred and Sixty-four entries.

At the hand over of the entries to the panel of judges, the General Manager, External Relations and Sustainable Development, NLNG, Mr. Andy Odey, said that the twenty-four other entries for Literary Criticism were also received.

While handing over the entries to the panel of judges, the Chairperson of the Advisory Board of the NLNG Prize for Literature, Professor Ezeigbo Akachi, commended NLNG for sustaining the project in the last 20 years.

Professor Ezeigbo, noted that this year’s entries for Children Literature was aimed at inculcating the culture of reading in children right from the cradle.

“This year is for Children Literature. Our Children and Grand Children, we want them to start reading as early as they can. Because reading and reading good books is very important”. She said.

Receiving the entries from the Advisory Board, the Chairman of this year’s panel of judges, Professor Saleh Abdu, gave the assurance that excellence would be the watchword of the panel of judges as they go through the process of bringing out the winner of the contest.

“We especially thank NLNG for sustaining this, and we are up to the task and we will do our best to meet the deadline. We rely on our scholars and critics to guide us and at the end, I believe we will successfully adjudicate, evaluate and bring out the best out of the 160 or so entries”.

Earlier in a welcome address, the General Manager External Relations and Sustainable Development, Mr. Andy Odey, who appreciated all the stakeholders, noted that the Nigeria Prize for Science and Nigeria Prize for Literature were established in 2004 while the Nigeria Prize for Literary Criticism, was in 2018.

He explained that the Nigeria Prize for Literature is worth USD100,000, while the prize for Literary Criticism has a cash reward of USD10,000.

According to Mr. Andy Odey, the cash rewards for the prizes is aimed at improving the writing and reading aculture.

“The prize for Literature is worth USD100,000 in award money while the Nigeria Prize for Literary Criticism has a USD10,000 cash reward. Both prizes celebrate literary works if Nigerian authors to the world’s attention. Generally, the prize aims at improving the quality of writing”.

The NLNG Literary award are Prize for Literature, Prize for Science and Prize for Literary Criticism.

However, the Prize for Literature which has been Africa’s most prestigious literary award, rotates yearly amongst four literary categories of Prose fiction, poetry, drama and Children’s Literature.

While Obari Gomba won the 2023 NLNG Prize for Literature with a cash prize of $100,000 , the winner of this year’s edition would be announced in October 2024.
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