‎Nigeria Prize for Literature: 11 Poets Make 2026 Longlist

Eleven poets have made the longlist for the 2026 edition of The Nigeria Prize for Literature, Confiance News has learned, as NLNG and the Committee for Relevant Art (CORA) hosted the writers at the annual CORA Book Party in Lagos.
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‎The names were drawn from 223 entries submitted for the poetry cycle following a February call for submissions, it was gathered. The event gave the poets a public stage to read from their works and engage with critics, publishers and readers ahead of the shortlist and eventual winner, expected later in the year.
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‎Speaking at the event, NLNG’s General Manager for External Relations and Sustainable Development, Sophia Horsfall, said the volume of entries reflected growing confidence among Nigerian writers in the prize, Confiance News gathered. “Each offering a distinct rhythm, perspective and artistic expression,” she said of the submissions.
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‎Also speaking, CORA Secretary-General Toyin Akinosho commended NLNG’s continued investment in Nigeria’s reading culture, describing the Book Party as a rare moment where authors face readers directly before a winner is named, Confiance News confirmed.
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‎Now in its 22nd year, the prize rotates annually across Prose Fiction, Poetry, Drama and Children’s Literature. The 2026 cycle is dedicated to Poetry, with the winner expected in October.