Obasanjo, Soyinka grace Nigeria Prizes Grand Award Night

Attendees at the Nigeria Prizes Grand Award Night

The Eko Hotel and Suites on Victoria Island, Lagos, hosted prominent personalities from Nigeria’s literary, scientific, business and creative communities on Friday as the 2026 Nigeria Prizes Grand Award Night held.

The ceremony, organised by Nigeria LNG Limited, brought together notable figures to celebrate outstanding achievements in literature, science, innovation and the creative arts.

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo and Nobel laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka, were among the distinguished personalities at the event. Soyinka also spoke on the importance of imagination across different disciplines.

Others associated with the ceremony included NLNG’s Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Adeleye Falade; and the Chairman of the Nigeria Prize for Literature Advisory Board, Professor Akachi Adimora-Ezeigbo.

One of the major highlights of the night was the announcement of poet, Ogaga Ifowodo, as the winner of the 2026 Nigeria Prize for Literature for his collection, Why Does God Need a Gun? He received the $100,000 prize after emerging from 223 entries submitted for the competition.

The inaugural Nigeria Prize for Creative Arts also featured prominently at the ceremony, with filmmakers, Peter Oke and Feranmi Abiola emerging as joint winners for their documentaries, Beyond Tarkwa Bay and Mara Mania, respectively. They shared the $20,000 prize.

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Speaking at the ceremony, Falade emphasised the importance of recognising exceptional achievements and promoting innovation capable of contributing to national development.

Soyinka, in his remarks, highlighted imagination as a common thread linking literature, the creative arts and science, calling for greater collaboration between practitioners in the humanities and scientific fields.

The evening also featured entertainment, including a performance by comedian, Buchi; and a presentation by Seki Dance Drama, a cultural production created by Yibo Koko.

The annual awards recognise outstanding Nigerian achievements while promoting intellectualism, scientific advancement and creativity.

The ceremony is held in October to commemorate NLNG’s first export of liquefied natural gas on October 9, 1999.