By Yemi Adebisi, Lagos.
Most foremost African writers, apart from known names, hardly earned their living through their writings.
Ezeigbo Okara Unigwe
Moreover, with the exception of few authors that try to survive through the sales of recommended textbooks, some creative writers ended up distributing their works freely at events for the sake of appreciation and recognition.
Apparently, this was because of the poor reading culture in this part of the world, an ancient custom that nearly painted authors as the poorest within the global economic circle.
This challenge also discouraged a lot of talented younger writers who presumed that book publishing could be a mere waste since it consumed so much assets, leaving little or no dividend.
At a point however, book launch, literary awards among others became strong motivation to writers and it actually added value to the literary community.
In its bid to improve the world of science and arts in Nigeria with its rare economic sword, the Nigeria Liquiefied Natural Gas (NLNG) in 2004 introduced the Nigeria Prize for Science (NPS) and Nigeria Prize for Literature (NPL).
The main goal of the sponsor was “bringing Nigerian scientists and authors to public attention and celebrating excellence in scientific breakthroughs and literary craftsmanship in the nation.”
Specifically, NPL, an annual literary competition, billed to honour the author of the best book of the current year or the previous three years, rotates yearly amongst four literary genres: prose fiction, poetry, drama and children’s literature.
Authors competing for the award typically send in their works which are assessed by a panel of judges, comprising eminent literary scholars, with their decisions and reviews overseen by an advisory committee of equally distinguished academics and literarists.
Through the prize, stakeholders in the book business such as readers, publishers, booksellers and distributors, literary critics and reviewers, explored the network to know the latest achievements of the best writers in Nigeria.
The prize also sustains the tradition of excellence in Nigerian literature.
Entries are shortlisted by a panel of judges before the final winner emerges. Some of the criteria used in this process include style (creative manipulation of language of expression); mechanical accuracy; scope; artistic integrity (coherence); maturity (handling of theme); thematic focusing; relevance on the focus of the theme; general contribution of the volume and quality of product of the volume.
In 10 years, it has rewarded eminent writers such as the oldest living Nigerian poet, Dr. Gabriel Okara for his volume of poetry The Dreamer, His Vision(co-winner 2004 – poetry); Professor Ezenwa Ohaeto, for his volume of poetry Chants of a Minstrel(co-winner 2004 poetry) and Ahmed Yerima (2005 – drama) for his book, Hard Ground.
Mabel Segun was co-winner in 2007 (children’s literature) for her collection of short plays Reader’s Theatre with Professor Akachi Adimora-Ezeigbo (My Cousin Sammy).
Kaine Agary’s Yellow Yellow in 2008 won the prose edition while Esiaba Irobi in 2010 won the prize posthumously with his book, Cemetery Road.
Adeleke Adeyemi in 2011 became the prize laureate with his children literature, The Missing Clock while Professor Chika Unigwe in 2012 won with her novel, On Black Sisters’ Street. Tade Ipadeola, a lawyer also cleared off the $100000 cash prize with his poetry, The Sahara Testaments in 2013 while Sam Ukala was declared winner in 2014 with his drama, Iredi War.
However, in 2009, the Literature Committee could not decide on a winner and the prize money was given to the Nigerian Academy of Letters (NAL) instead.
At the tail end of the grand finale of the prize presentation ceremony, chairman of the Advisory Board, Professor Ayo Banjo declared that no poet was qualified enough to go home with the prize money.
The aftermath of this declaration was riotous as it attracted mixed reactions from writers.
Some were of the opinion that the judges deliberately decided not to give out the award based on certain ulterior motives having written and presented almost a conclusive speech that suggested excellent entries at the world press conference.
Others observed lack of coherence and consistency in the bilateral relationship between the then panel of judges, some of the shortlists and the sponsor.
Be that as it may, the prize money, $100,000, equivalent of N15million, was given to NAL for researches.
In his defense, Banjo, said the prize money was used to organise a workshop at Ibadan and that a book has been published from the report of the said workshop.
It would be recalled that at the inception of the prize in 2004, the cash worth was $20,000 but later increased to $30,000 in 2006.
It was further revised to $50,000 in 2008 and finally to $100,000 in 2011, making it the largest in Africa and one of the richest literary prizes in the world.
Critics have looked into the worth of the prize money and the value it has added to Nigerian literature since inception. Though writers continue to benefit from this largess annually, however, it was observed that apart from past winners like former Director General of National Theatre, Professor Yerima; 93-year-old poet, Okara and doyen of children’s literature, Professor Adimorah-Ezeigbo, who have consistently churned out more books after their winning entries, most of the younger writers appeared to have faced other gestures other than writing after their victory.
Analysts insisted therefore that subsequent winners should be mandated to invest part of the prize money into literature to corroborate the main goal of the sponsor.
For the 2015 edition, Nigerian writers from across the country and beyond have submitted a total of 109 entries. Focus this year is on Children’s Literature.
Chairperson of the panel of judges for this year’s edition is Professor Uwemedimo Enobong Iwoketok of the University of Jos, while Professor Charles Bodunde of the University of Ilorin, and the University of Maiduguri’s Dr. Razinat Mohammed are co-members.
Members of the Advisory Board for the Prize are Professor Emeritus Ayo Banjo, Professor Ben Elugbe and Professor Jerry Agada
Kimberly Reynolds, a Professor of Children’s Literature at Newcastle University in the United Kingdom, and past President of the International Research Society for Children’s Literature, is this year’s International Consultant to the Advisory Board.
“We have received a hundred and nine books as submissions by Nigerian authors to compete for this year’s prize in children’s literature. I can only wish all the authors vying for the honour, every success and the best outcome possible in the exercise,” said Kudo Eresia-Eke, NLNG’s General Manager, External Relations.
This year’s award for children’s literature will run concurrently with the prize for literary criticism, also sponsored by NLNG, and for which only one entry was received.
Introduced in 2012, the literary criticism category is a yearly award and carries a monetary value of N1 million.
Elsewhere in education, Nigeria LNG in March 2014 publicly announced a N2 billion University Support Programme (USP).
Under the corporate social responsibility initiative, Nigeria LNG is currently sponsoring the building and equipment of engineering laboratories in six universities across Nigeria’s geo- political zones as part of its support to teaching, research and capacity building.
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