Nigerian poet Fólórunṣọ A. Adekunle has announced the fifth edition of the Shelter of Freedom Poetry Prize for Teen Poets, offering a ₦50,000 cash prize to the winner and publication in Èwe Review.
The competition, organized under the Shelter of Freedom Foundation‘s Poets in the Trenches Initiative, is open to writers below the age of 18.
Guidelines:
- One poem per entrant (Maximum of 40 Lines).
- Poems can be handwritten, but handwriting and image must be clear.
- Submit only original work. AI-generated work is strictly prohibited. Artificial intelligence or AI software, such as ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, or similar tools, may not be used in any part of the poem’s creation.
- Entrants must include the name of their school in the submission.
- All entries must be sent to shelteroffreedom@gmail.com.
Fólórunṣọ A. Adekunle started the Shelter of Freedom Poetry and Oratory Prize in 2020, shortly after gaining admission to Adekunle Ajasin University. According to his account, his renewed interest in poetry inspired him to support young writers and encourage them to continue practicing the art. He organized the first poetry competition as a 100-level student, using his pocket money to fund it. Olumide Oripinye won the inaugural poetry prize.
In 2021, Christiana Olugbile, then a 19-year-old student at Lagos State University of Education’s Epe campus, won the poetry competition. That year, the prize also shifted its focus from poets to essayists and orators who were undergraduate members of the Kegites Club International. Raphael Umanah, a law student at the University of Uyo, won the essay category, while Ogidan Rosemary of Lagos State University won the debate category.
The prize was put on hold in 2023. During his National Youth Service year in 2024/2025, Adekunle revived the initiative as one of his four personal Community Development Service projects in Owerri, Imo State. The project included a poetry and oratory workshop for students from 10 public secondary schools. The poetry prize and inter-school debate competition were sponsored by the Nigerian Bar Association, Owerri Branch.
The experience exposed the number of young poets and creative writers in secondary schools who lack support from the education system and the creative community. The Poets in the Trenches Initiative was established to give young Nigerian poets a platform, with the 2026 edition returning the prize to its focus on teen writers.
The 2026 competition will be judged by Liberian storyteller Soko Abe Sheriff, founder of the Teens Poetry Foundation in Liberia, and Nigerian author, poet, and columnist Tunde Akingbondere, author of Okonkwo the Poor Orphan.
Deadline: Friday, Dec 11, 2026.
Best of luck to all applicants!
