Poet Ogaga Ifowodo has won the 2026 Nigeria Prize for Literature with his collection, Why Does God Need a Gun?, attracting congratulatory messages from public figures, writers and literary organisations.
Ifowodo clinched the $100,000 prize, while filmmakers Peter Oghenetega Oke and Feranmi Abiola emerged joint winners of the inaugural Nigeria Prize for Creative Arts, sharing the $20,000 award.
The winners were announced at the Grand Award Night organised by Nigeria LNG Limited (NLNG) in Lagos on Friday, October 9, 2026.
The announcement was contained in a statement issued on Saturday, October 10, 2026, and signed by the company’s General Manager, External Relations and Sustainable Development, Sophia Horsfall.
Ifowodo’s poetry collection emerged from 223 entries, while Oke’s Beyond Tarkwa Bay and Abiola’s Mara Mania were selected from 98 submissions in the creative arts category.
Following the announcement, several prominent Nigerians and literary organisations took to social media to congratulate Ifowodo, praising his literary achievements, commitment to social justice and contribution to Nigerian writing.
Garba Shehu, Odinkalu hail Ifowodo
Former presidential spokesperson Garba Shehu congratulated Ifowodo, whom he described as a friend, saying the recognition attached to the award was particularly significant.
“Congratulations to my friend, Ogaga Ifowodo, on winning the NLNG award. The honour that comes with the award is enormous, and this is what I am most happy about,” Shehu wrote.
He described the cash prize as a welcome boost for the poet and expressed hope that the tax authorities would grant him relief, drawing a comparison with concessions enjoyed by some high-profile businesses.
Shehu also suggested that the Federal Government’s Renewed Hope Education and Youth Empowerment initiative should provide a basis for supporting the award winner.
Human rights lawyer Chidi Anselm Odinkalu also celebrated Ifowodo, describing the victory as deserved and highlighting the poet’s longstanding commitment to writing and social justice.
In his message, Odinkalu recalled Ifowodo’s history as a student leader at the University of Benin during the administration of its former Vice-Chancellor, Professor Grace Alele-Williams, noting that he had faced persecution during that period.
He also highlighted Ifowodo’s professional journey as a lawyer, social justice advocate and scholar who earned a doctorate in comparative literature.
“Ogaga was born to be a writer,” Odinkalu wrote, adding that writing had remained central to his identity despite his other professional and academic pursuits.
He congratulated his friend and praised his distinctive style and persistence.
Writers, literary groups celebrate achievement
Writer Ernest O. Jesuyemi also congratulated Ifowodo, describing the award as deserved and expressing satisfaction with the outcome.
“Congratulations to Ogaga Ifowodo on receiving the NLNG Nigeria Prize for Literature. He deserves it (even if not for the book that won) and I am somehow glad he won it. He has done much good work,” Jesuyemi stated.
The Joe Ushie Literature Foundation equally congratulated the poet on winning the 2026 edition of the award with Why Does God Need a Gun?
In its message, the foundation expressed hope that the recognition would not diminish his youthful spirit, declaring: “May the young heart never grow old!”
Urhobo House also celebrated Ifowodo’s achievement, describing the award as a moment for recognising great minds and extraordinary accomplishments.
The organisation extended its congratulations to the winners of the Nigeria Prize for Creative Arts, specifically acknowledging Oke’s documentary, Beyond Tarkwa Bay.
Meanwhile, journalist and literary commentator Henry Akubuiro congratulated Ifowodo and commended the other shortlisted writers, James Eze and Tares Oburumu, for making the final three.
Akubuiro observed that reaching the shortlist was a significant accomplishment in a country with considerable literary talent, describing the finalists as exceptional.
He also suggested that Ifowodo’s persistence and determination could itself provide material for academic research.
Winning collection explores violence and its consequences
Announcing the literature award, the Chairman of the Advisory Board for The Nigeria Prize for Literature, Professor Akachi Adimora-Ezeigbo, praised Why Does God Need a Gun? for its sensitive exploration of religious and political violence in Nigeria through the voice of an imagined victim.
She also commended the shortlisted collections for their technical skill, confidence and mature use of language, noting that their themes reached beyond Nigeria’s borders.
According to her, the works examined identity, belonging, the promises and disappointments of nationhood, extremism, displacement and the enduring consequences of conflict for individuals and communities.
Although different in voice and style, she said, the collections were rooted in Nigerian experiences while contributing to broader international conversations.
NLNG says awards promote excellence
Speaking at the ceremony, NLNG Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Adeleye Falade, said the Nigeria Prizes were established to recognise outstanding achievements and encourage scientific innovation, literary excellence and creative expression that contribute to societal development.
He described the literature prize as a platform for Nigerian writers to reach international audiences through stories that explore identity, resilience and shared humanity.
Falade also said the inaugural creative arts award would recognise artists who preserve Nigeria’s cultural heritage while presenting it in ways that appeal to younger generations.
The literature and creative arts awards followed the September announcement of Mary-Brenda Akoda as the winner of The Nigeria Prize for Science and Innovation.
Akoda won with GenScan AI (GenMRI/C-MORE), an artificial intelligence-powered innovation designed to accelerate magnetic resonance imaging.
Nobel laureate Professor Wole Soyinka, who addressed the ceremony, identified imagination as a common thread linking literature, the creative arts and science. He called for closer collaboration between practitioners in the humanities and sciences to advance human welfare.
Ifowodo’s victory, alongside the congratulatory messages from public figures and literary organisations, has renewed attention on his career and contribution to Nigerian literature.
