By Bisi Bamishe
The field has narrowed and the race for the 2026 The Nigeria Prize for Literature has reached a decisive stage, as the Advisory Board announces the three shortlisted poetry titles in contention for the prestigious prize.
Following the longlist of 11 titles announced in July from the initial pool of 223 submissions, the shortlist of three works has emerged, bringing their authors one step closer to the coveted $100,000 prize money.
According to the Advisory Board, “James Ngwu Eze, in Unbind Me Now, uses language that is fluid and aesthetically captivating. This collection decries the sociopolitical dysfunction of the nation and the world at large, interrogating the human condition, and charting a path for redemption. Ogaga Ifowodo, in Why Does God Need A Gun?, depicts religious and political violence in Nigeria, couched in a rich allegorical style. Delivered with the tripartite structure of body, mind and spirit, Ifowodo interrogates those forces that emblematise the world’s challenging ethos. While Tares Oburumu’s Flora’s Love Colony is written in a densely poetic style on Nigeria’s troubled history. It challenges mainstream narrative and is an inspiring socio-historical collection, captured in lucid imagery and evocative language.”
The shortlist marks the culmination of an intensive judging process that has placed the works under close scrutiny for their language, form, originality, craftsmanship and lasting literary value.
