Chairperson, Advisory Board of the Nigeria Prize for Literature, Prof. Akachi Adimora-Ezeigbo has urged young Nigerians to keep writing poetry, saying the genre gives them a way to speak to the nation, their communities and address problems in the country.
Speaking during an interview with ARISE NEWS on Wednesday on the importance of poetry and the 2026 Nigeria Prize for Literature, Adimora-Ezeigbo said poetry remained an important way of understanding identity, experience and the future.
“So I want to encourage them to keep writing because this is a way they can talk to the nation, they can talk to the people, their community, by creating viable poetry that will address the problems we have in Nigeria.”
She said poetry also requires discipline, imagination and careful use of language.
“It’s also a way of disciplining them because poetry is a discipline in general. You have to really think, imagine, and discipline yourself to be able to create poetry and then be able to use words in special ways that poetry demands.”
Adimora-Ezeigbo said the genre had become increasingly popular among younger Nigerians.
“But today you are amazed to see the number of young people especially, apart from the established poets we have, of course. Many people of the younger generation are also creating poetry. And you can see their poetry even online. Many of these online blogs and everything, they are publishing them, I want to encourage them to have love for poetry and to write more.”
Adimora-Ezeigbo also spoke about the wider role of poetry in society. “Poetry is very important because it kind of synthesises experience and tells us so much about who we are, our identity, and it takes us also beyond today and reveals tomorrow to us. We celebrate the past. We celebrate the present and the future.”
The professor also outlined the selection process for the 2026 Nigeria Prize for Literature, She said the process began in April and that the next stage produced an 11-book longlist.
“Well, this year, we received 223 entries. We keep receiving more entries every year now. So the first thing they did was to give us a list of 50 out of those 223. 50 were released. And then from that 50, they went on, they read again.”
“This process started since April this year. They read again. And then they came up with 25.”
According to her, the longlist is the stage when public attention begins to focus on the prize.
“But the next stage is what we call long list. And the long list contains 11 collections where every year is 11 in the long list.”
Adimora-Ezeigbo said the selection of 11 collections from 223 entries demonstrated the level of competition for the prize. “And the long list, this is the time that NLNG begins to make noise about the poor. Because long list of 11, can you imagine, out of 223 collections, 11 chosen is the best. And we regard that as the best in Nigeria for that year, the best collection.”
She said the shortlisted poets were later brought together for a book party organised by NLNG and CORA. “This year, they brought the 11 poets together and invited the public. They talked about their work. School children were there.”
Adimora-Ezeigbo emphasised that people from different sectors of society also attended the event and that the exposure gave the writers an opportunity to reach wider audiences. “People from different sectors of the society were there. And I believe they were also able to sell their books because they’ve now become public property, if I can use that word.”
She said judges then returned to the books to select the final three collections. “After the long list of 11, the judges go back and start reading again. And this is the time they come up with what they consider the best, the three best collections.”
Adimora-Ezeigbo said the judges were still reading the shortlisted works and that the winner would be announced at the grand award night on 9 October. “From this process now, we don’t know what will happen, but the judges are reading again. And on the 9th of October, the grand award night, the judges report to the winner.”
Erizia Rubyjeana
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