Ogaga Ifowodo Receives $100,000 Prize for Poetry on Violence

Ogaga Ifowodo has been awarded the 2026 Nigeria Prize for Literature, receiving a $100,000 prize for his poetry collection titled "Why Does God Need a Gun?" This collection, published by Masobe Books, was recognized for its sensitive portrayal of religious and political violence through the perspective of an imagined victim. The prize's advisory board chair, Akachi Adimora-Ezeigbo, praised the work, which was selected from a competitive field of 223 entries.

Ifowodo faced competition from James Ngwu Eze, whose work "Unbind Me Now" was shortlisted, and Tares Oburumu, author of "Floral’s Love Colony." This victory marks Ifowodo's second appearance at the prize's final stage, having been shortlisted in 2017 for "A Good Mourning." The announcement took place during Nigeria LNG Limited’s Grand Award Night in Lagos. Additionally, the ceremony introduced the Nigeria Prize for Creative Arts, which awarded $20,000 to Peter Oghenetega Oke and Feranmi Abiola for their documentaries.