If the proverb ‘Winners don’t quit and quitters don’t win’ was composed for any one person, that fellow is Nigerian writer and activist, Ogaga Ifowodo.
After repeated attempts at earning the bounteous Nigeria Prize for Litearture, he emerged winner of the 2026 edition on Friday night, at a glamorous event held in Lagos.
Based on the record, Ifowodo’s story is similar to that of Obari Gomba, who had competed not less down three times before he eventually won it.
While Gomba’s play titled Grit had eventually given him the feat in 2023, Ifowodo’s collection of poetry, Why Does God need a Gun?, emerged as the winner from 223 submissions, with the prize’s Advisory Board praising its rich allegorical portrayal of religious and political violence in Nigeria.
According to the board, the collection uses a tripartite structure of body, mind and spirit to interrogate forces that shape the challenging realities of the world.
The winning collection defeated two other shortlisted works: Unbind Me Now by James Ngwu Eze and Flora’s Love Colony by Tares Oburumu.
The award marks a significant milestone in Ifowodo’s literary career, which spans poetry, scholarship, activism and public engagement, further recognising his contribution to Nigerian literature.
The 2026 edition of the prize focuses on poetry, in line with the award’s annual rotation among poetry, prose fiction, drama and children’s literature.
Now in its 22nd year, the Nigeria Prize for Literature is sponsored by Nigeria LNG Limited (NLNG) and recognises outstanding literary works by Nigerian writers.
The $100,000 award remains one of Nigeria’s most prominent literary prizes, celebrating literary excellence and promoting Nigerian writing on the global stage.
