Author of Nomad Romeo Oriogun has emerged winner of the $100,000 prize for the 2022 cycle on Poetry.
Prof. Akachi Adimora-Ezeigbo, chairperson of the Advisory Board for The Nigeria Prize for Literature, sponsored by Nigeria LNG Limited, made the announcement at the Grand Award Night ceremony in Lagos with the theme: “Touching the stars”.
The winning book beat two other books on the Shortlist of Three, the Call of Water by Su’eddie Vershima Agema and Your Crib, My Qibla by Saddiq Dzukogi to clinch the prize. The book competed against 287 books submitted for the competition in 2022.
She also announced Dr. Sakiru Adebayo as the 2022 winner of the Nigeria Prize for Literary Criticism, which comes with N1,000,000) prize money.
Four winners of The Nigeria Prize for Science were also jointly awarded the prize money of $100,000. Muhydideen Oyekunle and Shehu Ado, as well as Sesan Peter Ayodeji and Emmanuel Olatunji Olatomilola, won the prize for their respective works titled, Gains in Grain Yield of Released Maize (Zea Mays L.) Cultivars under Drought and Well-Watered Conditions, and Development of Process Plant for Plantain Flour.
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The winners were awarded after the former president, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo (GCFR), in the keynote address stressed the critical roles science and literature play in national development. Chief Obasanjo said Nigeria could reach greatness through a strong will to change the prevailing narrative, adding “Nigeria is, as we all know, blessed beyond measure in talents, capabilities, and resources.
“I speak to the political class, the administrators, business institutions and organisations, small and medium scale enterprises, the creatives and content developers, leaders across all spheres of influence, the man or woman whose heart burns with passion for Nigeria’s good, and to the boy or girl, who is discovering his or her talents and gifts. May we all rise to that place of willingness and do so, collectively,” he said.
NLNG’s Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Philip Mshelbila, said the Company sponsored the prizes to ensure that excellence takes a prominent position in creativity and innovation in the country.
Speaking on the 2022 theme of the science prize, Innovations in Sustainable Food Security, Dr. Mshelbila stated that the prize and the winners were a wake-up call for the country and Nigerians to take responsibility for food sustenance.
On literature, he stated that leading publishing experts indicate that poetry submissions have been unprecedented the world over. He stated further that the entries for the 2022 Nigeria Prize for Literature were the most ever in the history of the prize.
