The Advisory Board for The Nigeria Prize for Literature, sponsored by the Nigeria LNG (NLNG), has announced Oyin Olugbile as the winner of the 2025 edition of the prize for her novel Sanya.
The announcement was made at a grand award ceremony held on Friday, October 10, 2025, at Eko Hotels, Lagos.
Olugbile’s Sanya emerged top among the three shortlisted works, beating The Road to the Country by Chigozie Obioma and This Motherless Land by Nikki May to clinch the prestigious honour. The award, regarded as Africa’s most prestigious literary prize, celebrates excellence in creative writing and rotates yearly among the genres of prose fiction, poetry, drama, and children’s literature. The 2025 cycle focused on prose fiction under the theme “Inspire.”
Chair of the Advisory Board, Professor Akachi Adimora-Ezeigbo, described the finalists as “exceptional,” adding that each work “distinguishes itself through masterful plotting, characterisation, and a good command of language that transports readers into imagined worlds.” She noted that the entries in this year’s competition reflected a remarkable level of creativity and commitment to storytelling, making the selection process highly competitive.
She further commended the judging panel for their thorough evaluation and the authors for their creativity, saying:
“It has been inspiring to witness such creativity and passion. On behalf of Emeritus Professor Olu Obafemi, Professor Ahmed Yerima, and myself, I can say it is a privilege to be part of something so meaningful and honourable.”
The judging panel, chaired by Associate Professor Saeedat Bolajoko Aliyu of the Department of English, Kwara State University, with members Professor Stephen Mbanefo Ogene of Nnamdi Azikiwe University and writer and broadcaster Olakunle Kasumu, assessed the shortlisted entries for their originality and narrative strength.
Since its establishment in 2004, The Nigeria Prize for Literature has remained one of the country’s foremost platforms celebrating literary excellence and promoting the value of reading and writing within and beyond Nigeria.
About Oyin Olugbile
Oyin Olugbile is a Nigerian-born author and cultural storyteller whose work reimagines African myths, matriarchal power, and spiritual memory. She is the author of Sanya, a mythological fiction novel that reframes the legacy of the Yoruba god Sango through a powerful female lens.
A graduate of Theatre Arts from the University of Lagos and Leadership and Development from King’s College London, her storytelling blends ancient symbolism with contemporary emotion.
Olugbile is also the co-author of The Road to Good Governance in Nigeria and Africa and a recipient of multiple recognitions, including the CANEX Prize longlist (2024) and the Women Economic Forum Award (2023). She mentors emerging storytellers and advocates for education and community development across Nigeria and the UK.
Congratulations, Oyin Olugbile!
Bakare Oluwatobiloba
I write to educate, motivate and define history with literature. Just being me!
