The Advisory Boards for The Nigeria Prize for Science, The Nigeria Prize for Literature, and The Nigeria Prize for Literary Criticism, sponsored by Nigeria LNG (NLNG) Limited, have published the Call for Entries for the 2024 edition of the prizes, flagging off this year’s competitions.
The Science and Literature prizes, which are now in their 20th year, each come with a cash prize of $100, 000 while the Prize for Literary Criticism has prize money of $10,000.
The Nigeria Prize for Science recognizes outstanding scientific achievements by Nigerians and non-Nigerians and will focus on Innovations and Technologies for Reducing the Effects of Climate Change as the theme for this year.
The Nigeria Prize for Literature, on the other hand, will focus on Children’s Literature. The prize, which honours the author of the best book by a Nigerian, rotates among four literary genres, namely Prose Fiction, Poetry, Drama, and Children’s Literature.
The Literary Criticism Prize, whose theme is on Children’s Literature, also aims to promote Nigerian Literature, will receive entries on works in literary criticism of Nigerian Literature, especially critical essays on new writings in Nigerian Literature.
The Call for Entries for the Literature Prize and Literary Criticism will close on 2nd April 2024 while the window for the science prize will close on 30th April 2024.
Professor Saleh Abdu chairs the panel of judges for this year’s Literature and the Literary Criticism competition. Professor Abdu is a Professor of English at the Federal University of Kashere, Gombe State.
He has taught courses mostly in Literature at various levels. He also served at Bayero University Kano and Federal University of Kashere, Gombe State, as Head of Department (HOD), Faculty Sub-Dean, Dean of Faculty, Chair of Senate, Management and Council Committees. He has authored and co-authored several books including his Poet of the People’s Republic: Reading the Poetry of Niyi Osundare (2003).
Other panel members include Professor Vicky Sylvester and Dr. Igudia Osarobu. Professor Sylvester is a writer who has been teaching at the Department of English, University of Abuja. Her prolific writing career has produced numerous award-winning novels, poems, and academic works. Dr. Osarobu is a Doctor of Philosophy at the Department of Library Archival & Information Studies, University of Ibadan, Oyo State.
The Advisory Board also announced Dr. Christopher Okemwa as the International Consultant. Dr. Okemwa is a Doctor of Poetry, Drama & Creative Writing, and he is a Literature Lecturer in Kisii University, Kenya.
The winners of the Nigeria Prize for Literature and the Nigeria Prize for Literary Criticism, if any, will be announced at an award ceremony in October 2024 to commemorate the anniversary of the first LNG export from the NLNG’s Plant on October 9, 1999. The Science Prize winner will be revealed in September 2024.
The Nigeria Prize for Literature and The Nigeria Prize for Science are part of NLNG’s contribution towards helping to build a better Nigeria.