Abebi Award in Afro-Nonfiction has rewarded writers of the five best creative non-fiction stories among 87 entries submitted across the country. The Award, according to the founder, Mofiyinfoluwa Okupe, is to embrace women, who are unshackled by cultures of silence and shame, belting the chorus of their voices for all to hear in the form of story writing.
  
Targeted at women writing creative non-fiction stories, the award ceremony, which was held in Ikeja, Lagos, featured award of cash prizes to five top writers.
  
Okupe, in her remarks, said there are many opportunities for fiction and poetry writers, but it appears non-fiction as a genre does not enjoy that spotlight and development.
  
She emphasised that the award was set up to hear Nigeria women speak, telling their own story in their own ways and in their own terms, letting the whole society to see what can be learned from that. She said: “Nigeria society is a place where women are silent, so this initiative set up this award for Nigeria women writing non-fiction stories.”

“So many essays that we received were based on child birth, shame in society, culture upbringing, grief.
  
“The Abebi award wants to create space where Nigeria women voices are heard literally and creating non-fiction for world to see that we are important and has impact to change our life and everybody that comes in contact with them.”
   
The top story writers, Immaculata Abba, got a prize of N150, 000 while first runner up, Shalom Esene, got N100, 000; Irumo Chukwuemeka and Janobest Isaac got N50,000 respectively.