Celebration of Words, Creativity and Intellectual Rigour at NPL 2026 Grand Finale
With a collection confronting religious fanaticism, political violence and the abuse of power, poet and human rights lawyer Ogaga Ifowodo has won this year’s Nigeria Prize for Literature. Yinka Olatunbosun reports The
The NPL 2026 Grand Finale celebrated words, creativity, and intellectual rigor in Lagos. Ogaga Ifowodo, a poet, human rights lawyer, and scholar, won the Nigeria Prize for Literature for his collection Why Does God Need a Gun? The event, held at the Grand Ballroom of the Eko Hotel and Suites on Victoria Island, featured a collection of works addressing religious fanaticism, political violence, and abuse of power.
The ceremony, chaired by Prof. Akachi Adimora-Ezeigbo, included dramatic readings and musical interludes. Prof. Wole Soyinka and other literary figures were present. The award ceremony honored Nigeria's intellectual elite and marked a significant milestone for African literature. Ifowodo, who previously won the award in 2018, expressed gratitude and emphasized poetry's role as a weapon of truth and sanctuary for hope.
His work confronts the paradoxes of religious fanaticism, systemic violence, and the human condition in modern Nigeria, making it a poignant indictment of terror and impunity.
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