UI Student Wins Poetry Prize

By: Aisha Lamidi

Mahbubat Kanyinsola Salahudeen, a 100 level student of Communication and Language Arts, University of Ibadan has emerged second in the 2022 edition of the Nigerian Students Poetry Price (NSPP)

Her poem, “I Really Am a Metaphor for Grief” was announced second in the contest by the Poets in Nigeria (PIN), at an award ceremony which took place at Eriata Heights, Ikorodu, Lagos on Saturday, 10th December.

From among the 538 entries received from students representing 94 tertiary institutions, Chinualumogu Godsent Ofodile, Mahbubat Kanyinsola Salahudeen and Joshua Okon Effiong were announced winners for the seventh edition of the contest.

Ofodile, a 200-level student of English and Literary Studies, Nnamdi Azikwe University, Awka came first with his poem, “The Voyage”, while Effiong, a 300-level student of Science Laboratory Technology, University of Calabar got the 3rd position for his poem, “Resurrection.”

A 5-man judging panel, including Prof. Sunny Awhefeada (Professor of African Literature and Dean of the Faculty of Arts at the Delta State University, Abraka), Iquo DianaAbasi (performance poet and longlisted poet, NLNG Nigeria Prize for Literature 2022), Kukogho Iruesiri Samson (winner of the GTB Dusty Manuscript Prize), Luz María López (award-winning Puerto Rican poet and editor) and Adekunle Oguntoyinbo Shola Phebian  (performance poet and creative director) reviewed the entries to select the top 50 poems for inclusion in the NSPP 2022 anthology.

Iquo Diana Abasi, in his remarks commended PIN, stating that Poetry Price is a laudable initiative. He started further that the young poets captured the desolation, frustration and palpable tension in the land.

The prize winners will receive a total cash prize of N425,000 while the consolation prize winners – Younglan Talyoung (University of Jos), Ayoade Olamide (Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago-Iwoye) and Olowonjoyin Muhammed Sanni (University of Ilorin) – will share a total sum of N75,000.

The NSPP was instituted in 2016 to stimulate literary creativity among Nigerian students. Noah Oladele (Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife), Bakre Fadil Adedamola (University of Ibadan), Godstime Iberiyenari Tamunofiri (Niger Delta University), Ogugua Micah Okoye Micah Ogugua (Enugu State University of Science and Technology), Okwubi Godwin Adah  (University of Benin) and Samuel A. Adeyemi (Federal University, Lokoja) won 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021 editions of the Prize respectively.

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