Nigerian author Oyindamola Olugbile has been announced as the winner of the 2025 Nigeria Prize for Literature, sponsored by the Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) company, receiving the $100,000 grand prize for her debut novel, Sanya.
The award was presented on Friday night at the Eko Convention Centre, Eko Hotel and Suites, Lagos.
Olugbile, whose work was selected from a competitive field including Chigozie Obioma’s The Road to the Country and Nikki May’s This Motherless Land, received the accolade from the Advisory Board of the Prize, chaired by Professor Akachi Adimora-Ezeigbo. The board described the adjudication process as rigorous, noting that the eleven books initially longlisted exhibited exceptional literary quality and presented judges with unprecedented challenges.
Speaking on the evaluation, Ms Adimora-Ezeigbo said, “Each work distinguishes itself through masterful plotting, characterisation, and a good command of language that transports readers into imagined worlds. These are not merely stories; they are carefully woven realities.
They are compelling in their beauty, stirring in their emotional resonance, and unflinching in their engagement with familiar yet urgent societal issues. The way the writers handled and resolved conflict highlights their skill and literary standing.”
‘Sanya’, Olugbile’s debut, explores themes of love, loss, and rediscovery within the framework of a fantastical empire that even the Òrìsà find enchanting. The novel has been noted for its imaginative world-building and complex character development, establishing Olugbile as a new voice in contemporary Nigerian literature.
Olugbile holds a B.A. (Hons) in Creative Arts from the University of Lagos, an MSc from King’s College London, and postgraduate certificates from Lagos Business School, Harvard Business School Online, and the School of Politics, Policy and Governance.
In addition to her literary work, she serves as Chief Curator of the Experience Factory, an education initiative providing out-of-classroom learning experiences for young people, and works as a Social Impact Management Consultant.
The Nigeria Prize for Literature, established in 2004, rotates annually among four genres—fiction, poetry, drama, and children’s literature—completing a full cycle every four years. It recognises and rewards outstanding Nigerian literary talent, and past winners include Olubunmi Familoni, who won the 2024 edition with The Road Does Not End.
