Olugbile’s “Sanya” wins Nigeria Prize for Literature, $100,000 richer
…As Masobe Books shines at awards night
Sanya, a book by Oyin Olugbile, has won the 2025 edition of The Nigeria Prize for Literature, which is focused on prose fiction.
The book beat two other shortlisted titles to clinch the NLNG-sponsored Prize valued at $100,000.
Sanya’s feat at the Prize, which is one of Africa’s most prestigious literary honours, came from its selection among the 252 novels by the judges, further making it to the 11 longlist and the three shortlisted titles.
While announcing the novel as the winner at the Nigeria LNG Limited (NLNG) Grand Award Night in Lagos, on October 10, 2025, Akachi Adimora-Ezeigbo, a professor and chairman of the Advisory Board for the Prize, noted that Sanya won because of Olugbile’s mythology retelling approach, which she described as 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.
Read also: Advisory Board unveils shortlist of three for Nigeria Prize for Literature 2025
She noted further that Olugbile achieved this through lucid and straightforward language, making for easy reading.
“We were impressed by the quality of the shortlisted books written by three writers with diverse backgrounds and experiences. The books, Sanya by Oyin Olugbile; The Road to the Country by Chigozie Obioma, both published by Masobe Books; and This Motherless Land by Nikki May, published by Narrative Landscape, indicate an improvement in the quality of local publishing,” she said.
“After much careful assessments and deliberations, we concluded that very little separates the novels and each is a potential winner of the award. However, Oyin Olugbile’s Sanya slightly takes the edge and is therefore our pick as the winner of the 2025 “Nigeria Prize for Literature”.
Also, Masobe Books, a Nigerian publishing company, was in the spotlight as two of its published novels made the 3 shortlist, while one of them eventually won the prestigious literary prize.
It would be recalled that five novels from Masobe Books were among the 11 longlisted in this year’s Prize, speaking volumes on the reputation of the publishing firm.
Apart from the Nigeria Prize for Literature, earlier, Okwudiri Anasiudu emerged as the winner of the Nigeria Prize for Literary Criticism. Anasiudu won for his submissions titled 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. The Nigeria Prize for Literary Criticism comes with a $10,000 prize money.
Sadly, there was no winner for the Nigeria Prize for Science this year, according to Barth Nnaji, a professor and chairman of the Advisory Board for the science prize.
Speaking at the awards, Philip Mshelbila, managing director and CEO, NLNG, highlighted the enduring influence of literature, describing The Nigeria Prize for Literature as “a reminder of the power of words to shape identity and deepen understanding.
Read also: László Krasznahorkai wins 2025 Nobel Prize in Literature for his dark, visionary storytelling
“Winning the Prize is recognition of scaling the highest heights of literature. All the shortlisted books this evening are works of the highest calibre,” he said.
He also revealed that The Nigeria Prize for Science will be renamed “The Nigeria Prize for Science and Innovation.” He said the new name reflects NLNG’s belief that progress depends as much on creativity and fresh thinking as on technology and infrastructure.
In another revelation, Mshelbila announced that NLNG would be resting The Nigeria Prize for Literary Criticism and introducing a new Prize category, “The Nigeria Prize for Creative Arts,” with a focus on Documentary Film. He stressed that the new Prize would inspire a new generation of storytellers to inform, challenge, and connect Nigerians more deeply to who they are as a nation and who they can become.
The NLNG boss also unveiled a new book, “Voices of Our Leaders,” a commemorative book on NLNG’s history and progress over three decades. He noted that the book captures the voices of some of those who have guided NLNG’s journey from dream to reality.
