Obari Gomba’s Grit Wins 2023 $100,000 NLNG Prize

The author of “Grit”, Obari Gomba, has emerged winner of the 2003 Nigeria Prize for Literature.

Gomba’s work was announced the winner of 2023 edition of the prize on Friday night at a grand award night at the Eko Hotel and Suites, Lagos.

The play beat the “The Ojuelegba Crossroads” Abideen Abolaji Ojomu and “Yamtarawala – The Warrior King” by Henry Akubuiro with 140 others, to bag the $100,000 literature prize sponsored by Nigeria LNG Limited (NLNG)

According to the Chairperson of the Advisory Board, Professor Akachi Adimora-Ezeigbo, the judges applauded “Grit” as a great play that transcends its covers.

“Its pages unfold a captivating narrative that has clearly left an indelible mark and its production quality is nothing short of excellent,” she said.

General Manager of External Relations and Sustainable Development at NLNG, Mr Andy Odeh said: “Today, we are glad that Nigeria can showcase great literary works published in Nigeria. Our library and bookshelves have been enriched with many great works by Nigerian writers. 19 years of successful administration have produced 17 winning works, and over $1 million has been won. The Nigeria Prize for Literature alone has received over 2400 entries in the four genres, many of which are top-quality entries.”

This same time four years ago in the Drama genre, Soji Cole (Embers), Denja Abdullahi (Death and The King’s Grey Hair) and Akanji Nasiru (The Rally) were announced in the 2018 Shortlist of Three.

Soji Cole went on to win the Prize. Other playwrights who had been listed in the shortlist in previous years are Friday John Abba (Alekwu Night Dance), Jude Idada (Oduduwa, King of the Edos) and Sam Ukala (Iredi War – Winner) in 2014; Irobi Esiaba (Cemetery Road- Winner), Ahmed Yerima (Little Drops), and Adinoyi Ojo Onukaba (The Killing Swamp) in 2010; and Emeka Egwuda (Esoteric Dialogue), Femi Osofisan (Ajayi Crowther) and Ahmed Yerima (Hard Ground- Winner) in 2006.

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