THE $100K Prize: NLNG NIGERIA PRIZE FOR LITERATURE
The world owes you nothing. But what happens when you keep swinging and the stars do not just align for you? I get it. It could be a little frustrating, especially when you find it difficult to see beyond the specific goal you set for yourself. Have you had so much faith in yourself that you think that nothing is really impossible, and you can do anything? But what happens when your self-belief is unwavering, but reality finally hits and the results look nothing close to what you envisioned. That is called failure. This is because, you believed that you will win but unfortunately you lost. You expected to rise, but you failed. It could be humiliating because, right in the presence of the failure and disappointment, your strong self-beliefs and self-perception do not really matter anymore in the real world. When reality meets expectation, people would say you have faith, but when it’s the opposite, they would say you had always been delusional. That is life.
Before I continue, let me talk a little about goals.
THE POWER OF A SINGULAR GOAL
Having a goal, a well defined goal makes life beautiful. On itself, it could be inspiring. You wake up each morning with one intention, knowing exactly what to do because there is something driving you ahead. I remember few years ago in high school when I first conceived the idea to write a book which later became The Mind of a Hero, the urge and urgency to get the book out into the world was such exceptional drive that I couldn’t really explain. When I began writing, every morning I woke up, I knew one thing; to write. Sometimes, I could write for six to seven hours straight and those around me thought I was weird. The hunger for food was replaced with the burning desire to accomplish a specific goal. There was no tiredness or fatigue, no lack of motivation; I couldn’t stop until it was done.
EVERY FINISHED LINE IS THE BEGINNING OF A NEW RACE
In 2023 when I finally published The Mind of a Hero, feeling a little relieved, I was equally worried because I knew that the real work is coming. I had to deal with the great anxiety of giving the book the best possible shot to the best of my ability. It all depends on me, I knew. So, I juggled with the book promotion, marketing and sales. I had to negotiate with book marketers and bookshops, and I had to visit schools. When schools insisted that the book must have to be approved by the government, I also had to make that happen, and it was approved by the government via NERDC. (Read my article on How to Get Your book Approved in Schools in Nigeria). So I literally said ‘yes’ to almost everything, and finally landed on TVC interview in Lagos. That was in 2024.
THE SOUGHT FOR OPPORTUNITIES ($100K NIGERIA PRIZE FOR LITERATURE)
In 2025, I was constantly looking for ways to maximize any opportunity that every newly published book would bring. That was when I came across The NLNG Nigeria Prize for literature; which is the Africa’s most prestigious literary award, offering a $100,000 cash prize to winners. The competition rotates annually through the four genres of literature: Prose fiction, drama, poetry, and children’s literature. Since I had a prose fiction ready, and I could easily align with their submission procedure, I didn’t see anything stopping me from engaging in the competition. I submitted my book and waited, but at the end of it all, during October 2025, I lost out. My book wasn’t even long listed from the record-breaking 252 entries that were submitted. What a shame?!
Now, what could have happened if The Mind of a Hero had won the prize? Do you think it supposed to win, or it could have won?
How to Make Entry for the Nigeria Prize for literature
You can also do the same. In the meantime, if you are an author with your fresh book at hand, wouldn’t it be a good idea to give a try to the competition? Who knows, you may be the next winner. Now, if this is your first time of hearing about the Nigeria Prize for literature, and you are left wondering how to make an entry, simply visit the website here and follow their submission procedure at https://www.thenigeriaprizes.org .
But note that in this year, 2026, the competition is for Poetry. That means if you are a Poet, you already know what to do. Just go for it!
Thank you for your time. Let me know what you think.
