Poet and writer Oluwabukola Atanda Abdulrafiu has been named the winner of the 2025 ÀTẸ́LẸWỌ́ Prize for Yorùbá Literature, taking home the ₦1,000,000 cash award for his poetry collection titled Oríloníṣe — meaning “The Head Has a Purpose” or “Every Head Has a Purpose.”
The prize was announced during a ceremony hosted by the ÀTẸ́LẸWỌ́ literary collective, a platform committed to promoting literature in the Yorùbá language. Abdulrafiu’s manuscript was selected from a diverse pool of entries submitted by Yorùbá-language writers across Nigeria and beyond.
Oríloníṣe is a reflective and spiritually charged collection that draws on Yorùbá cosmology and philosophy. Centered on the idea that every individual is born with a unique destiny (orí), the poems explore themes of purpose, self-discovery, divine order, and ancestral guidance. Abdulrafiu’s work balances traditional proverbs, oral cadence, and modern poetic technique to deliver verses that are both timeless and contemporary.
This year’s win positions Abdulrafiu as one of the prominent voices in the new wave of Yorùbá-language literature. His work is expected to feature in future anthologies, translations, and literary festivals.
Congratulations Oluwabukola Atanda Abdulrafiu on your big win!
Bakare Oluwatobiloba
I write to educate, motivate and define history with literature. Just being me!
