By Abdulfatah Babatunde
The Advisory Board for The Nigeria Prize for Literature, sponsored by Nigeria LNG Limited, (NLNG) has announced “Grit”, authored by the playwright, Obari Gomba, as the winner of the $100,000 prize for the 2023 cycle on Drama.
Prof. Akachi Adimora-Ezeigbo, Chairperson of the Advisory Board, made the announcement at the Grand Award Night in Lagos, themed “Redefinition”.
She also announced Eyoh Asuquo Etim’s entry “Herstory versus ‘History’: A motherist rememory in Akachi Ezeigbo’s The Last of the Strong Ones and Chimamanda Adichie’s Half of a Yellow Sun” as the 2023 winner of The Nigeria Prize for Literary Criticism, which comes with $10,000 prize money.
The winning book beat two other books on the Shortlist of Three: “The Ojuelegba Crossroads” by Abideen Abolaji Ojomu and “Yamtarawala – The Warrior King” by Henry Akubuiro.
The book competed against 143 plays submitted for the competition in 2023.
Prof. Hippolite Amadi, the 2023 winner of The Nigeria Prize for Science, sponsored by NLNG, also received prize money of $100,000 for his ground-breaking work.
The work is on respiratory technologies for keeping Nigerian newborn babies alive.
The Advisory Board led by Prof. Barth Nnaji announced Amad as the winner in September.
In his welcome address, Dr Philip Mshelbila said the theme for the event “Re-definition” emphasised the need for redefinition in a rapidly changing world characterised by pandemics, geopolitical events, climate change, technological advancements, and more.
He stated that redefinition involved looking at things in new ways, whether at a national, communal or personal level.
Redefinition, he said, often begins with re-evaluation, reassessment, and revision of established positions.
Mshelbila expressed excitement about Nigeria’s prospects in the energy transition journey, particularly with natural gas as an enabler. He highlighted NLNG’s support for the Decade of Gas policy.
“In NLNG, we supported the declaration of Decade of Gas, which the Federal Government launched in 2021.
“It is to help Nigeria achieve industrialisation and economic prosperity, and tackle energy poverty by using gas as an enabler.
“This aligns with NLNG’s vision to be a globally competitive LNG company, helping to build a better Nigeria.
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“I have expressed optimism in several fora that the Decade of Gas policy will enable the country to catch up with the industrialised countries if successfully implemented as planned.
“At the same time, it will help decarbonise our ecosystem.
“Our bid for redefinition is further contextualised through the sponsorship of the Nigeria Prizes: the Nigeria Prize for Science, Literature and Literary Criticism.
“This year, the theme of the science prize is “Innovation for Enhancement of Healthcare Therapy”.
“We need our people to be physically, mentally, and emotionally in their best form to tap into the wealth attainable through Nigeria’s reasoned potential.
“Likewise, the genre for the 2023 NLNG Prize for Literature is drama. As is apparent, drama has an adept way of communicating themes and messages for our deeper reflection,” Mshelbila said.
The Special Guest of Honour, former CBN governor, Muhammad Sanusi II, said the theme transcends science and literature. It was time for Nigeria to redefine itself.
“We often lament our image, but what have we done to change it? When will we celebrate scientists like Prof. Amadi? NLNG is shedding light on such individuals and I hope more Nigerians will do the same. This is the essence of redefinition.
“What I like about Amadi’s speech is that in his work, he’s looking at the human being at the end of his work.
“I have always told people that one of the best ways to get value out of your life, your career and your position is to figure out who is the human being at the end of your work.
“If you think of the human being at the end of your work, you will realise how important it is for you to stay alive so those human beings work.
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He asked rhetorically; “is it, not time for our public officeholders to redefine their roles and start thinking of the human being at the end of their actions?
“Is it, not time to start asking that when you are made public officers, after four or after eight years?
“Can you honestly look at yourself and say you have positively impacted the lives of millions of Nigerians?
“You don’t know their faces or names, but you are thinking of the human being.
“Amadi, winner of the Nigeria Prizes for Science, does not know the names of the mothers of babies he saved.
“But he is telling you that he has an innovation that can reduce the mortality rate of newborns in Nigeria.
“He does not need to know names of those people to know that his work has value to define himself.
“He has defined himself as somebody whose work is aimed at saving life,” Sanusi said.
He said NLNG has potentials to redefine the Nigerian economy by helping the country transition from oil to gas.
The transition, he noted, could cut energy costs by 50 per cent or 60 per cent in the country.
According to him, this would significantly impacte inflation, people’s livelihoods, and the nation as a whole.
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