Playwright Soji Cole around 10pm on Friday emerged winner of the 2018 edition of The Nigeria Prize for Literature sponsored by the Nigeria LNG Limited. His work Embers, was announced the winner during a night of glamour at Eko Convention Centre, Eko Hotel, Victoria Island Lagos, carting away the prize of $100,000.

He beat two others shortlisted for the award, namely, Denja Abdullahi (Death and The King’s Grey Hair); and Akanji Nasiru (The Rally).

The award came on the heels of the award of The Nigeria Prize for Literary Criticism worth N1 million won for the second year running by Isidore Diara.

Earlier in the night, Dr. Peter Ngene, an Assistant Professor in the Inorganic Chemistry and catalysis group of the Debye Institute for Nanomaterials Science, Utrecht University, The Netherlands, had carted away the Science Prize also worth $100,000. His work, All Solid State Liquid Sulphur Battery, was adjudged the best among all the entries.

The genre for the Literature Prize this year was Drama while the Science Prize focused on ‘Innovations in Electric Power Solutions’.

The winners thus join the growing league of laureates which include eminent personalities such as Prof. Ezenwa Oheato & Dr. Gabrial Okara (2005), Dr. Ahmed Yerima (2006), Prof. Akachi Adimora-Ezeigbo and Mabel Segun (2007), Kaine Agary (2008), Dr. Esiaba Irodi (2010), Mr. Adeleke Adeyemi (2011), Dr. Chika Unigwe (2012), Tade Ipadeola (2013), Prof. Sam Ukala (2014), Abubakar Adam Ibrahim (2016), Ikeogu Oke (2017) for The Nigeria Prize for Literature and Prof. Akpoveta Susu & Dr. Kingsley Abhulimen (2004), Prof. Michael Adikwu (2006), Dr. Ebenezer Meshida, Prof. Andrew Nok (2009), Prof. Ahaehomen Ibhadode (2010) and Ikeoluwapo Ajayi, Ayodele Jegede, Bidemi Yusuf & Olugbenga Mokuolu & Chukwuma Agubata (2017) for The Nigeria Prize for Science.

The Award Presentation Ceremony was graced by high caliber guests, among them the Minister of Communications, Adebayo Shittu, and Lagos State Governor, Mr Akinwunmi Ambode, represented by his Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr. Kehimde Bamigbetan.

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