Jude Idada with his work ‘Boom Boom’ has won the Nigeria Prize for Literature, sponsored by Nigeria LNG Limited, for the 2019 cycle on Children’s Literature.
The book edged out ‘Mysteries at Ebenezer’s Lodge’ by Dunni Olatunde and ‘The Great Walls of Benin’ by O.T. Begho entries in the shortlist of three, to clinch the prize.
‘Boom Boom’ by Jude Idada had competed against 173 books submitted for the competition in March 2019 to win the $100,000 cash prize reward.
The announcement was made at NLNG’s 20-30 Anniversary Ball and Award Night in Abuja by Professor Emeritus Ayo Banjo, Chairman of the Advisory Board. The event commemorates NLNG’s 30 years anniversary of incorporation, 20 years of safe and reliable production and delivery of LNG from its six-train plant on Bonny Island and 15 years of sponsoring the Nigeria Prize for Literature.
Also at the event, Professor Meihong Wang and Dr. Mathew Aneke were also awarded $100,000 as joint-winners of Nigeria Prize for Science for the Year 2019. Wang and Aneke were announced as winners in September 2019 by the prize’s Advisory Board for their work on Carbon Capture, Carbon Utilization, and Biomass Gasification and Energy Storage for Power Generation.
Speaking during his welcome address, Tony Attah, NLNG’s Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, on the prizes, remarked that the company was also celebrating 15 years of successful administration of the Science and Literature prizes, saying:
“These past years has been an arduous journey but most definitely very fulfilling for us and I believe for the country as well. I say so unequivocally because thanks to the prizes, our nation now boasts of scientific breakthroughs and famous works on Poetry, Prose, Drama and Children’s Literature that have earned the prizes a reputation as the most prestigious prizes in sub-Saharan Africa.”
Earlier in September, the science prize Advisory Board, led by Professor Akpoveta Susu, Chairman of the Board, had announced that the winning work of addressed core environmental issues notably deforestation, carbon production, associated climate change and the resultant effects such as erosion, drought and desertification.
The Board added that The Nigeria Prize for Science is open to non-Nigerians and Nigerian scientists.
