Nigerian poet Ogaga Ifowodo has won the 2026 Nigeria Prize for Literature, securing the $100,000 award for his poetry collection, Why Does God Need a Gun?, a work that explores religious and political violence in the country.
Ifowodo was announced as the winner at the grand award night organised by Nigeria LNG Limited (NLNG) in Lagos on Friday, October 9, 2026. His collection emerged from 223 entries submitted for this year’s competition, which focused on poetry.
The Chairman of the Advisory Board for the Nigeria Prize for Literature, Professor Akachi Adimora-Ezeigbo, described the winning work as a sensitive portrayal of religious and political violence in Nigeria, told through the perspective of an imagined victim.
She praised the shortlisted collections for their technical skill, confidence and mature use of language, noting that they addressed issues of identity, belonging, nationhood, extremism, displacement and the lasting effects of conflict on individuals and communities.
Ifowodo’s victory marks a significant milestone in his literary career. He had previously reached the final stage of the competition in 2017 with his collection, A Good Mourning, but did not win the award at the time.
Meanwhile, filmmakers Peter Oghenetega Oke and Feranmi Abiola emerged as joint winners of the inaugural Nigeria Prize for Creative Arts, sharing the $20,000 award for their documentaries, Beyond Tarkwa Bay and Mara Mania, respectively.
The two documentaries were selected from 98 submissions. The organisers recognised their contributions to documenting communities, preserving cultural memory and highlighting experiences that are often overlooked.
The Technical Adviser to the Advisory Board for the Nigeria Prize for Creative Arts, Joel Kachi Benson, said the shortlisted documentaries demonstrated the ability of film to challenge perceptions and deepen public understanding of society.
He noted that the works amplified underrepresented voices, documented cultural experiences and highlighted the resilience of communities.
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, also known as GenMRI/C-MORE, an artificial intelligence-powered innovation designed to accelerate magnetic resonance imaging. Her achievement made her the first Generation Z recipient of the prize and the first woman to win as an individual awardee.
Speaking at the ceremony, NLNG Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Adeleye Falade, said the Nigeria Prizes were established to recognise exceptional achievements and encourage innovation and creativity that contribute to national development.
He explained that the science and innovation category had recognised contributions across healthcare, agriculture, engineering, energy, technology, climate resilience and sustainable development.
Falade also described the literature prize as an important platform for Nigerian writers to engage international audiences through stories exploring identity, resilience and shared humanity.
He said the creative arts award would further encourage artists to preserve Nigeria’s cultural heritage while presenting it in ways that connect with younger generations.
Nobel laureate Professor Wole Soyinka, who also addressed the gathering, highlighted imagination as a common element linking literature, creative arts and science.
Soyinka argued that imagination was not limited to the humanities, explaining that disciplines such as mathematics and physics also required the ability to envision possibilities beyond existing knowledge.
He called for closer collaboration between the humanities and sciences, urging practitioners in both fields to combine their strengths in the service of humanity.
The awards form part of NLNG’s efforts to promote excellence in literature, science and the creative arts while encouraging ideas and cultural expressions capable of contributing to Nigeria’s development and international recognition.
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