Three writers have been shortlisted in the $100,000 Nigeria Prize for Literature sponsored by Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) Limited. Friday John Abba, Jude Idada and Sam Ukala, were announced by the company’s General Manager, External Relations, Kudo Eresia-Eke, after the approval of the Advisory Board for prize on September 5.
Chairman of the Advisory Board, Professor Ayo Banjo, said the eventual winner of the competition will be announced at a World Press Conference on October 9.
Abba, a playwright, was chairman of Kaduna Writers’ League and former Vice Chairman of the Kaduna State chapter of the Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA). He is the author of Alekwu Night Dance.
Ukala, a playwright, theatre director, film producer and an academic, was the chairman, Delta State chapter of ANA. He got on the shortlist with Iredi War. His other published plays include The Slave Wife, The Log in Your Eye, Akpakaland and Break a Boil.
Idada, shortlisted for Oduduwa: King of the Edos, is a screenwriter, filmmaker and dramatist. The author of Flood, Brixton Stories and Lost, has published works in the three genres of literature. He is also the winner of the 2013 ANA’s Prize for Drama with Oduduwa: King of the Edos.
Currently living in Canada, Idada is a graduate of Theatre Arts from the University of Ibadan.
The Nigeria Prize for Literature rotates yearly among four literary genres: prose fiction, poetry, drama and children’s literature. The 2014 prize is for drama and comes with a cash prize of $100,000. Next year’s prize will be for children’s literature. A total of 124 entries for the prize were received this year.
Chairman of the Panel of Judges is Charity Angya, Professor of Theatre Arts and Vice Chancellor at Benue State University, Makurdi, Benue State. Other members of the panel are Prof. Ahmed Yerima, a past laureate of the prize and professor of Theatre Arts, Redeemer’s University, Mowe, Ogun State; and Prof. Akanji Nasiru, a well-respected scholar and professor of Performing Arts, Bowen University, Iwo, Osun State.
Other members of the Advisory Board are Prof. Jerry Agada, former President of ANA and Prof. Ben Elugbe, former President of the Nigerian Academy of Letters.