Oyin Olugbile has won the 2025 edition of The Nigeria Prize for Literature with her novel Sanya. The award, one of Africa’s most prestigious literary honours, comes with a $100,000 prize.
The announcement was made on Friday at the Nigeria LNG Limited (NLNG) Grand Award Night in Lagos. Chairman of the Advisory Board for the Prize, Professor Akachi Adimora-Ezeigbo, revealed Olugbile as the winner out of 252 novels submitted for the competition.
Adimora-Ezeigbo praised Olugbile’s work for its bold retelling of Yoruba mythology and its creative twist in casting Sango as a female. She described Sanya as “distinct and daring,” adding that the author used clear and engaging language that made the story accessible.
“We were impressed by the quality of the shortlisted books written by three writers with diverse backgrounds and experiences,” she said. “After much careful assessment, we concluded that very little separates the novels. However, Sanya slightly takes the edge and is therefore our pick as the winner.”
The other shortlisted books were The Road to the Country by Chigozie Obioma and This Motherless Land by Nikki May.
The advisory board also announced Okwudiri Anasiudu as the winner of The Nigeria Prize for Literary Criticism. He was honoured for his essays Afropolitan Identity and Afrodiasporic Otherness in Selected African Novels, Allegorical Conjectures in Helon Habila’s Measuring Time, and Mimetic Designs in Helon Habila’s Oil on Water. The award carries a $10,000 prize.
In his remarks, NLNG Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Philip Mshelbila, highlighted the power of literature to shape identity and deepen understanding.
“Winning the Prize is recognition of scaling the highest heights of literature,” he said. “All the shortlisted books this evening are works of the highest calibre.”
Mr Mshelbila also announced that The Nigeria Prize for Science would now be known as The Nigeria Prize for Science and Innovation. He said the new name reflects NLNG’s belief in creativity and fresh thinking as key to progress.
He revealed that the company would rest The Nigeria Prize for Literary Criticism and introduce a new category called The Nigeria Prize for Creative Arts, which will focus on documentary film. The aim, he said, is to inspire a new generation of storytellers to “inform, challenge, and connect Nigerians more deeply to who they are as a nation and who they can become.”
Turning to energy matters, Mshelbila cited a report by the International Energy Agency which states that Africa needs over $200 billion annually in energy investments to achieve its climate and development goals. He said Nigeria has both the capacity and the responsibility to lead the effort.
“Train 7, now over 80% complete, is a $10 billion demonstration of what happens when policy, planning, investment, and execution align,” he said. “It is proof that investment yields results and that Nigeria can remain competitive in the global LNG market if we stay focused and ambitious.”
He also unveiled Voices of Our Leaders, a new commemorative book chronicling NLNG’s 30-year journey and the people who helped shape it.
Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, delivered the keynote speech. He commended the achievements of Nigerian writers and scientists but urged the nation to invest more in innovation.
He noted that the 2025 Nigeria Prize for Science produced no winner, a decision announced in September. The theme for the year was Innovations in ICT, Artificial Intelligence (AI), and Digital Technologies for Development.
Dr Alausa said the outcome should serve as a wake-up call. “Without innovation, Nigeria cannot hope to compete in a digital future,” he said.
He called on Nigerians to commit to nurturing both science and art, strengthening education, investing in technology, and driving sustainable energy.
The Nigeria Prize for Literature and its sister prizes remain NLNG’s flagship initiatives to promote excellence in the arts and sciences.
