In 2023, the annual Eriata Oribhabor Poetry Prize (EOPP) put out a call for entries on the theme: “Unity, Truth, Justice, and Change..” The response to the call birthed a “vibrant tapestry of verses”whose light shone on pertinent Nigerian issues. Three winners emerged:
1st place: Ifiokobong Etuk for “A Revolution Thinks Itself A Bird”. Praised as soaring, Ifiokobong’s poem showcases a masterful clasp of metaphor and language in its cry for freedom and transformation.
2nd place: Olalekan Daniel Kehinde for “Apocalypse”. Described as ‘haunting’, Olalekan’s poem wowed the judges for its evocative strength and ‘unflinching honesty’ of the nation’s critical issues.
3rd place: Nnadi Samuel for “Rerouting”. Lyrical and multi-layered, Nnadi’s poem captured the judges in its navigation of both ‘personal and national anxieties’ towards redirecting the national collective onto new paths.
But the beauty of this year’s entries does not stop here. It ripples across the shortlisted entries which have been compiled into an anthology of poems: “A Revolution Thinks Itself a Bird”. It includes: “Poem Of Colour” by Hassan A. Usman, “Portrait Of Justice in My Country as An MCQ” by Joshua Effiong, “What Do I Call the Gut of Men” by Blessing Omeiza Ojo, “Naija Revo Wetin?” by Adeniyi Segun Alexandra, “For The Love Of Home” by Saheed Sunday, “Chronicles of a child’s disorderliness in faith” by Pacella Chukwuma-Eke, and “Postcolonial Highway” by Osieka Osinimu Alao. The judges for this year’s contest were: Jide Badmus, Adedayo Agarau, and Chika Jones.
The ERIATA ORIBHABOR POETRY PRIZE (EOPP) is an annual literary prize instituted in November 2012 by Words Rhymes & Rhythm (WRR) in partnership with prominent Nigerian poet, essayist, editor, and social commentator Sir Eriata Oribhabor. EOPP came about to give the much-needed attention Nigerian poetry deserved and encourage young Nigerian poets to use poetry as a tool for social change.
Read the announcement and download the anthology here.
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