Nigerian poet, Ogaga Ifowodo has emerged as the winner of the 2026 Nigeria Prize for Literature, earning the $100,000 award for his poetry collection, Why Does God Need a Gun?

The winners were announced at the grand award ceremony organised by Nigeria LNG Limited in Lagos on Friday. The collection emerged from a total of 223 entries submitted for this year’s competition.

Meanwhile, Peter Oghenetega Oke and Feranmi Abiola were named joint winners of the inaugural Nigeria Prize for Creative Arts, receiving a combined recognition for their documentaries, *Beyond Tarkwa Bay* and *Mara Mania*. The creative arts award carries a prize of $20,000.

The Nigeria Prize for Literature is regarded as one of Africa’s prominent literary awards, recognising outstanding works by Nigerian writers. The new creative arts category was introduced to celebrate originality and excellence in artistic expression.

Chairman of the Advisory Board for the literature prize, Professor Akachi Adimora-Ezeigbo, described Ifowodo’s winning collection as a sensitive exploration of religious and political violence in Nigeria, presented through the perspective of an imagined victim.

She also commended the three shortlisted poetry collections for their technical quality, confident writing and mature use of language.

According to her, the works examined issues such as identity, belonging, the promises and disappointments of nationhood, extremism, displacement and the lasting consequences of conflict.

Although deeply rooted in the Nigerian experience, she noted, the collections also addressed concerns that extend beyond the country’s borders.

For the creative arts category, the winning documentaries were selected from 98 submissions. The organisers said the works stood out for documenting communities, preserving cultural memory and bringing overlooked experiences to wider audiences.

Technical Adviser to the Creative Arts Prize Advisory Board, Joel Kachi Benson, said the shortlisted documentaries demonstrated how filmmaking could challenge perceptions, amplify underrepresented voices and deepen public understanding of society.

The awards followed the September announcement of Mary-Brenda Akoda as the winner of the Nigeria Prize for Science and Innovation. She received the award for GenScan AI, also known as GenMRI/C-MORE, an artificial intelligence-powered innovation designed to accelerate magnetic resonance imaging. Her achievement made her the first Generation Z recipient and the first woman to win the prize as an individual awardee.

Speaking at the ceremony, NLNG Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Adeleye Falade, said the Nigeria Prizes were established to recognise exceptional achievements and promote scientific innovation, literary excellence and artistic creativity.

He noted that the science and innovation award had recognised contributions across several fields, including healthcare, agriculture, engineering, energy, technology, climate resilience and sustainable development.

Falade added that the literature prize had become an important platform for Nigerian writers to reach international audiences through stories exploring identity, resilience and shared humanity.

He described the creative arts category as another avenue for celebrating artists who preserve Nigeria’s cultural heritage while presenting it in ways that connect with younger generations.

Congratulating the winners and finalists, the NLNG chief executive said their achievements reflected the discipline and perseverance required to excel. He added that the awards were designed to inspire emerging scientists, writers and creatives to develop ideas that could address future challenges and contribute to national development.

Also speaking at the event, Nobel laureate Professor Wole Soyinka highlighted imagination as a shared foundation of literature, creative arts and science.

Soyinka argued that imagination was not limited to the humanities, noting that scientific disciplines such as mathematics and physics also depend on the ability to envision possibilities beyond existing knowledge.

He called for stronger collaboration between the humanities and sciences, urging practitioners across both fields to combine their strengths in the service of humanity.

The Nigeria Prizes remain part of efforts to promote excellence in science, literature and the creative arts while encouraging innovations and cultural works capable of contributing to Nigeria’s development and international standing.