NLNG opens literature prize to all Nigerians

Nigerian writers seem to have their way with the Literature Committee of the NLNG Prize for Literature, after six years of criticisms and agitation.

The committee, in an announcement released to reporters on Wednesday evening, shifted grounds on two key issues that has agitated writers: the residency condition, which bars non-resident writers in the country from submitting their works for the prize and non disclosure of the identity of judges - which have caused friction between it and writers since the inception of the prize in 2004.

Calls for the abolition of the two conditions became more strident last year when no winner emerged out of 161 entries received for the 2009 competition, which was for poetry.

Ayo Banjo, Emeritus Professor of English and a member of the committee, announced the body’s new position at an interaction between the committee and writers at the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA), Victoria Island, Lagos.

“The Literature Committee has not been insensitive to suggestions being made about its performance,” Mr. Banjo said. “We have agreed that, as from this year, everybody will know exactly who the judges will be.” He then went ahead to list the names of members of the committee.

The chairman of the judges’ panel for the 2010 Prize, to be awarded for drama, according to Mr. Banjo, is Dapo Adelugba, a retired professor of Theatre Arts of the University of Ibadan who is currently with the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria. The remaining judges are also all professors. They are Kalu Uka, Mary Kolawole and Tanimu Abubakar.

Enough endowments

Mr Banjo initially said that the controversial residency condition would be addressed. He later admitted, while answering a question, that, “We have indeed thrown the competition open to all Nigerians wherever they may be.” The committee also addressed the contentious issue of the 50,000 dollars Prize money which the Managing Director of the NLNG, Chima Ibeneche, awarded the Nigeria Academy of Letters (NAL) to develop Nigerian literature at the Grand Award Night held in Abuja last year.

Dan Izevbaye, a member of the Committee and a former President of NAL, said, “NAL doesn’t need the money to survive. We have endowments from elsewhere. When NAL meets, it would deliberate on how to spend the money.”