NIGERIAN STUDENTS POETRY PRIZE (NSPP 2018) – THE PRIZE WINNERS

NIGERIAN STUDENTS POETRY PRIZE (NSPP 2018) – THE PRIZE WINNERS

• Iberiyenari, Amagwula and Ikeobi Win NSPP 2018
• Godfrey Okoye University Sponsors NSPP 2018 Awards
• University of Ibadan emerges as best participating school, top-performing school

Poets in Nigeria (PIN) is delighted to announce Iberiyenari Godstime Tamunofiri, Amagwula Nnenna Comfort and Ikeobi Samuel Chukwubuokem as prize winners for the 2018 edition of the Nigerian Students Poetry Prize (NSPP) which opened for submissions on 15^th January, 2018.

Closing to submissions on 7^th March, 2018, the Prize received 464 poems from students drawn from over 80 tertiary institutions. Iberiyenari, a 400-level student of Chemical Science at Niger Delta University Wilberforce Island, Yenagoa clinched the first prize with her poem entitled “Deep Dreams” while Amagwula, a 200-level student of Physiology at the University of Lagos came 2^nd with her poem entitled “Yet Another Head”. “Two Sides of Hakeem” authored by Ikeobi, a 500-level student of Electrical Electronics Engineering at the University of Agriculture, Abeokuta won the 3^rd prize.

A 5-man judging panel, including Ismail Bala, Soji Cole, Kukogho Iruesiri Samson, Saka Aliyu and Hulya Yilmaz, reviewed the entries to select the top 100 poems for inclusion in the NSPP 2018 Anthology. Professor Hulya Yilmaz, a member of the Liberal Arts Faculty at The Pennsylvania State University, captured her judging experience thus: “It has not been an easy feat for me to narrow down the requested number of poems from a large pool of submitted poetry of substance and beauty. The selected poems have come to my attention time and time again throughout my repeated readings for their authorial message and tone: The unconditionally accepting universal spirit that shone through them was nothing to be overlooked nor to be taken lightly. Those voices had to be vocalized in order for the globally relevant and vital conceptualizations of their authors to be heard by humanity at large. Each of the poems of my selection was addressing world’s ills, trials and tribulations from a relatable stance when humanity is concerned as the only race I acknowledge. My strong hope lies in the promise that the hereby singled out poets will only get more and more enthusiastic, eager and determined toward speaking up for the voiceless or the forgotten by advancing upon the frequency and intensity in their tangible application of their exceptional command over their poetic craft.”

University of Ibadan emerged as the best participating school and top performing school for the third time in a row. The prize winners are entitled to a total cash prize of N300,000 (sponsored by Godfrey Okoye University, Enugu) and an exclusive feature in the 3^rd Volume of the NSPP Anthology.

The NSPP was instituted in 2016 to stimulate literary creativity among Nigerian students. Noah Oladele from Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife and and Bakre Fadil Adedamola from University of Ibadan won the 2016 & 2017 editions of the Prize respectively.

Kolade Olanrewaju Freedom

Moderator, NSPP 2018