No winner for the NLNG Nigeria Prize for Children Literature 2015.There will be no prizes or winners for the Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) Nigeria Prize for Literature 2015, the judges of the annual prize have decided.
The entries assessed for 2015 NLNG Prize for Literature were “incompetent in the use of language”. Hence, there will be no winner. Ayo Banjo
— Kola Tubosun (@baroka) September 25, 2015
According to one of the judges, Prof. Ayo Banjo, there were 109 entries for the competition this year but all of them were deemed unsatisfactory as they did not meet the criteria set by the judges.The General Manager, Public Affairs of NLNG, Dr Kudo Eresia-Eke in agreeing with the decision of the judges reportedly said, “There will be no wavering in our commitment to the development of literature in Nigeria. The NLNG stands behind the decision of the judges. The prize which we bequeath to Nigerians will be for excellence.”Professor Uwem Iwoketok was also quoted to have said that the neglect of children literature amounts to ‘child abuseREAD the full speech of the Chairman, Advisory Board, Nigerian Prize for Literature Prof. Ayo Banjo below:
The Nigeria Prize for Literature sponsored by Nigeria LNG Limited was instituted in 2004 with the aim of promoting literature and recognizing excellence. The initiative has witnessed steady progress since inception. The prize rotates among four genres namely – Poetry, Drama, Fiction and Children’s Literature. The 2015 The Nigeria Prize for Literature competition is for Children’s Literature.The Nigeria Prize for Literature has since 2004 rewarded eminent writers such as Gabriel Okara (co-winner, 2005, poetry), Professor Ezenwa Ohaeto (co-winner, 2005, poetry); Ahmed Yerima (2006, drama) for his classic, Hard Ground; Mabel Segun (co-winner, 2007, children’s literature) for her collection of short plays Reader’s Theatre; Professor Akachi Adimora-Ezeigbo (co-winner, 2007, children’s literature) with her book, My Cousin Sammy; Kaine Agary (2008, prose); Esiaba Irobi (2010, drama) who clinched the prize posthumously with his book Cemetery Road; Adeleke Adeyemi (2011, children’s literature) with his book The Missing Clock; Chika Unigwe (2012, prose), with her novel, On Black Sister’s Street; Tade Ipadeola (2013, Poetry) with his collection of poems, Sahara Testaments and Sam Ukala (2014, drama) with Iredi War. In 2004 and 2009, there were no winners.Perhaps at this point, it is necessary to explain very briefly what children’s literature entails. Children’s literature reflects the cultural milieu, norms and values of any given society. It molds, teaches, corrects, entertains and crucially inspires the next generation of readers and writers. In most of the entries for this year’s contest, it was discovered that inappropriate prominence was given to the following: violence, eroticism, mediocrity, cheating in examinations, bullying, exploration in mysticism and negative peer-pressure.continue reading HERE
