Deadline: 15th March, 2019
Nigerian Students Poetry Prize (NSPP) is an initiative of Poets in Nigeria (PIN) aimed at stimulating literary creativity, promoting literary excellence and encouraging critical thinking among Nigerian undergraduates. Since inception in 2016 at the University of Ibadan, the prize has received over 1500 entries from students representing over 100 tertiary institutions (including universities, polytechnics, colleges of education, schools of nursing and seminary schools).
Reputed to be the foremost poetry prize for Nigerian students, the NSPP has been hosted by institutions such as University of Nigeria, Nsukka (2017) and Godfrey Okoye University, Enugu (2018). As host of the fourth edition of the prize, Niger Delta University, Wilberforce Island, Yenagoa, will be the venue for the NSPP awards ceremony slated for mid-2019.
Previous grand prize winners of the prize include Noah Oladele (Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife; 2016), Bakre Fadil Adedamola (University of Ibadan; 2017) and Godstime Tamunofiri Iberiyenari (Niger Delta University, Wilberforce Island, Yenagoa; 2018).
Denja Abdullahi (President, Association of Nigerian Authors), Prof. Akachi Ezeigbo (Joint Winner of The Nigeria Prize for Literature; 2007) and Ismail Bala (literary critic and lecturer, Bayero University, Kano) chaired the judging panel for the 2016, 2017 and 2018 editions of the prize respectively
Prizes
1st Prize – ₦150,000
2nd Prize – ₦100,000
3rd Prize – ₦50,000
Aside rewarding the prize winners (top three entrants) with a total cash prize of ₦300,000, the top 100 entrants will each receive a certificate of excellence and complimentary copy of the NSPP anthology which features their works.
Eligibility:
- Open to all Nigerian undergraduates studying in Nigeria and the diaspora.
- Entrants must be from a recognized tertiary institution.
Guidelines:
- Submissions are to be made at nspp.poetsinnigeria.org.ng , with strict adherence to the instructions thereon.
- Poems must be original, intellectual property of the entrants.
- An entrant is entitled to a single entry of 30 lines maximum.
- There are no fixed themes. Entrants can write on any relevant theme.
- Entries submitted must be previously unpublished. A submission discovered to have defaulted on this rule will be automatically voided (inclusive of winners).
- All entrants are expected to purchase a minimum of one of the three NSPP anthologies uploaded on the submission portal.
- Under no condition will the judges’ decision be challenged.
- Entering for the contest gives PIN automatic right to make use of entries as deemed appropriate.
- Entries must be written in English. Native terminologies must be translated in English as footnotes.
- Entrants should subscribe to www.poetsinnigeria.org.ng for regular updates.
