NLNG Finalists for Fiction, 2025
From 252 entries down to 11 longlisted authors, The Nigeria Prize for Literature have pruned their list down to three finalists.
This year’s panel of judges is chaired by Associate Professor Saeedat Bolajoko Aliyu of the Department of English, Kwara State University. Other members of the panel include Professor Stephen Mbanefo Ogene, Professor of Comparative Literature, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, and Mr Olakunle Kasumu, writer, filmmaker, producer, and host of Channels Television’s Book Club.
The shortlisted novels, in no particular order, are:
- Sanya by Oyin Olugbile
- The Road to the Country by Chigozie Obioma
- This Motherless Land by Nikki May
One of these authors is set to win the $100,000 prize of the NLNG-sponsored literary competition. The winner of the most prestigious prize in Africa will be unveiled at the grand award ceremony on the 10th of October 2025.
Reflecting on the announcement of the shortlist, the chairman of the Advisory Board for The Nigeria Prize for Literature, Professor Akachi Adimora-Ezeigbo, described the process of adjudication as intense, rigorous and meticulous.
She described the earlier 11 longlisted books as excellent entries, adding that the challenges which the judges faced this year during adjudication were daunting and unprecedented.
Professor Adimora-Ezeigbo said, “The shortlist before us is exceptional. Each work distinguishes itself through masterful plotting, characterisation, and a good command of language that transports readers into imagined worlds. These are not merely stories, they are carefully woven realities. They are compelling in their beauty, stirring in their emotional resonance, and unflinching in their engagement with familiar yet urgent societal issues. The way the writers handled and resolved conflict highlights their skill and literary standing, making these works quite outstanding.”