One hundred and sixty-three writers are competing for $100,000 in this year’s edition of the Nigeria Prize for Literature sponsored by Nigeria LNG Limited (NLNG).
The sponsors announced this yesterday in Lagos while handing over the entries to the judges for the commencement of the adjudication process.
Through its General Manager for External Relations and Sustainable Development, Mr. Andy Odeh, the sponsors handed over the entries to the chairman of the prize’s Advisory Board, Prof. Akachi Adimora-Ezeigbo, who also handed them over to the judges.
The competition, which is in its 20th year, is in the Children’s Literature cycle with a cash prize of $100,000 while the Literary Criticism Prize has a prize money of $10,000.
Odeh lauded the achievements of Nigerian writers in the past 20 years of the competition.
The Advisory Board also handed over 24 entries for The Nigeria Prize for Literary Criticism. The literature prize rotates yearly amongst four literary categories: prose fiction, poetry, drama, and children’s literature.
The event was attended by other members of the Advisory Board, Prof. Olu Obafemi and Prof. Ahmed Yerima, as well as the panel of judges’ chairman, Prof. Saleh Abdu, and the other members, Dr. Igudia Osarobu and Prof. Vicky Sylvester.
Also, the NLNG yesterday announced the commencement of the second phase of its Hospital Support Programme (HSP) by signing Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) with three health institutions.
The HSP, a flagship corporate social responsibility (CSR) project, aims to bolster the healthcare infrastructure of 12 federal university teaching hospitals and health institutions across the six geopolitical zones.
In the latest phase, NLNG’s Managing Director, Dr. Philip Mshelbila, formalised the agreements with key medical directors.
The Federal Medical Centre (FMC) in Asaba, Delta State, will be renovated and equipped with Neonatal Wards and Intensive Care Unit; Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital (ATBUTH) in Bauchi will be reconstructed and equipped with a laboratory complex; and Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital (NAUTH) at Nnewi will be renovated and equipped with an oxygen plant.
Mshelbila said: “This MoU signifies our collective commitment to addressing healthcare needs, enhancing service delivery, and positively impacting vulnerable populations.”
