NLNG flags off 2023 Nigeria prizes competition

The advisory boards for the Nigeria prizes for science, literature and literary criticism, sponsored by Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) Limited, have published the call for entries for the 2023 edition of the prizes, flagging off this year’s competitions.

The science and literature prizes, which are now in their 19th year, come with a cash prize of $100,000 each, while the prize for literary criticism is $10,000.

The science prize, which recognises outstanding scientific achievements by Nigerians and non-Nigerians, will focus on innovation for the enhancement of healthcare therapy this year.

The literature prize will focus on drama, in honour of the author of the best book by a Nigerian across four literary genres, namely prose fiction, poetry, drama and children’s literature. 

The Literary Criticism Prize, which 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 March 31, 2023, while the window for the science prize will close on April 30, 2023.

Ameh Akoh, a Professor of Drama and Critical Theory at the Alex Ekwueme Federal University, Ebonyi State, will chair the panel of judges for this year’s literature and literary criticism competition.

Akoh has over 50 publications in refereed local and international journals and books. 

He is the former Editor of the Nigerian Journal of Indigenous Knowledge and Development, Nigerian Theatre Journal (NTJ); the Co-editor of African Nebula and the UNIOSUN College of Humanities Monograph Series (2009-2016).

Other panel members include Professor Osita Ezenwanebe, a professor of Creative Arts, at the University of Lagos and Dr Rasheedah Liman, a Senior lecturer at the Department of Theatre and Performing Arts, Ahmadu Bello University Zaria, Kaduna State.

Ezenwanebe has written and produced several full-length plays.

The advisory board also announced Professor Victor K. Yankah from the Department of Theatre and Film Studies, the University of Cape Coast, Ghana as the international consultant.

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 2023 to commemorate the anniversary of the first LNG export from the NLNG plant on October 9, 1999. 

The Science Prize winner will be revealed earlier in the year.