Nigerian author Oyin Olugbile has won the 2025 edition of The Nigeria Prize for Literature for her novel Sanya, earning one of Africa’s most prestigious literary honours, valued at $100,000.
The announcement was made on Friday, October 10, 2025, during the NLNG Grand Award Night in Lagos. The declaration was made by Professor Akachi Adimora-Ezeigbo, Chairperson of the Advisory Board for the Prize, who revealed that Olugbile’s Sanya was selected from 252 submitted novels.
Adimora-Ezeigbo praised Olugbile’s originality and bold reinterpretation of Yoruba mythology.
“Olugbile’s mythology retelling approach was distinct and daring for casting Sango as a female and for the projection of Yoruba mythology through a story that captivates and meanders into a fantastical world,” she said. “She achieved this through lucid and straightforward language, making for easy reading.”
She noted that Sanya edged out The Road to the Country by Chigozie Obioma and This Motherless Land by Nikki May, both of which were shortlisted for the final stage.
“After much careful assessment and deliberations, we concluded that very little separates the novels. However, Oyin Olugbile’s Sanya slightly takes the edge and is therefore our pick as the winner of the 2025 Nigeria Prize for Literature,” she added.
The event also saw Okwudiri Anasiudu win The Nigeria Prize for Literary Criticism, which comes with a $10,000 prize, for his essays: Afropolitan Identity and Afrodiasporic Otherness in Selected African Novels; Allegorical Conjectures in Helon Habila’s Measuring Time; and Mimetic Designs in Helon Habila’s Oil on Water.
In his remarks, Philip Mshelbila, Managing Director and CEO of Nigeria LNG (NLNG), described the prize as a powerful reminder of literature’s enduring impact.
“The Nigeria Prize for Literature reminds us of the power of words to shape identity and deepen understanding,” he said. “Winning the Prize is recognition of scaling the highest heights of literature. All the shortlisted books this evening are works of the highest calibre.”
Mshelbila also announced key updates to NLNG’s prize initiatives, including the renaming of The Nigeria Prize for Science to “The Nigeria Prize for Science and Innovation”—a move reflecting the company’s belief that progress relies equally on creativity and technology.
He further revealed that The Nigeria Prize for Literary Criticism would be rested to make way for The Nigeria Prize for Creative Arts, focusing initially on Documentary Film, to inspire a new generation of storytellers.
“This new prize will encourage creative expression that informs, challenges, and connects Nigerians more deeply to who we are and who we can become,” he stated.
The Honourable Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, who delivered the keynote address, urged greater investment in innovation and artificial intelligence after The Nigeria Prize for Science recorded no winner this year.
“Without innovation, Nigeria cannot hope to compete in a digital future,” he said, calling for sustained efforts to nurture both science and the arts in building a knowledge-driven society.
