By Onu Okorie

The race for the 2026 The Nigeria Prize for Literature has entered its decisive stage, with three poetry collections shortlisted for the prestigious $100,000 prize. Now in its 22nd year, the prize is sponsored by Nigeria LNG Limited NLNG as part of its commitment to promoting literary excellence, encouraging creativity and supporting the growth of Nigeria’s literary culture.
With the shortlist now announced, the competition has entered its final stretch, with Eze, Ifowodo and Oburumu emerging as the last three contenders for the $100,000 prize.
The Advisory Board of the prize announced the shortlist after an intensive judging process that began with 223 submissions and produced an 11-title longlist in July.
The three shortlisted works are James Ngwu Eze’s Unbind Me Now, Ogaga Ifowodo’s Why Does God Need A Gun?, and Tares Oburumu’s Flora’s Love Colony.
In its assessment, the Advisory Board described Eze’s Unbind Me Now as a collection marked by fluid and aesthetically captivating language. It said the work condemns sociopolitical dysfunction in Nigeria and across the world while interrogating the human condition and exploring possibilities for redemption.
On Ifowodo’s Why Does God Need A Gun?, the board said the collection examines religious and political violence in Nigeria through a rich allegorical style. Structured around the themes of body, mind and spirit, the work interrogates forces that embody some of the world’s most troubling realities.
Oburumu’s Flora’s Love Colony, according to the board, confronts Nigeria’s troubled history in a densely poetic style. It said the collection challenges mainstream narratives and offers an inspiring socio-historical perspective through lucid imagery and evocative language.
The shortlisted works were assessed on the quality of their language, form, originality, craftsmanship and enduring literary value.
Chairperson of the Advisory Board of The Nigeria Prize for Literature, Professor Akachi Adimora-Ezeigbo, said the shortlist demonstrated the depth and quality of contemporary Nigerian poetry.
She noted that selecting three finalists from the 223 submissions was a demanding task for the judges, adding that the shortlisted works distinguished themselves through their literary quality, originality and capacity to engage readers and the wider world.
The 2026 edition of The Nigeria Prize for Literature is dedicated to poetry, in keeping with the prize’s annual rotation among four genres — prose fiction, poetry, drama and children’s literature.
The eventual winner will be determined from the three shortlisted collections, bringing to a close another edition of one of Nigeria’s most prestigious literary competitions.