REVEALS JUDGES FOR 2ND EDITION OF NSPP
Poets in Nigeria (PIN) have revealed members of the judging panel for
the second edition of the Nigerian Students Poetry Prize which closed
to submissions on 15th April, 2017.
The 8-man judging panel chaired by Professor Akachi Ezeigbo includes
award-winning writers. Poets and critics such as Denja Abdullahi,
Oladele Babajamu, Ismail Bala, Ceri Naz, Kukogho Iruesiri Samson, Bassey
Asuquo and Okeke Job Izuchukwu.
The announcement was made yesterday in Baytown Lounge, Gudu District,
Abuja in a stakeholders’ meeting attended by President of PIN, Eriata
Oribhabor; CEO of Baytown Lounge, Charles Chizor Onuba; Moderator of
NSPP 2017, Kolade Olanrewaju Freedom and Kenneth Tyoakaa Azahan, a
journalist.
Giving a statistical overview of submissions, Kolade stated that, a
total of 725 Nigerian undergraduates from 102 tertiary institutions in
Nigeria and abroad applied for the prize.
Reiterating the objectives of the prize, Eriata Oribhabor said that,
“The prize would continually stimulate creativity among Nigerian
undergraduates and create an esteemed platform for the appreciation of
their poetic prowess.”
Poets in Nigeria had earlier intimated the public about securing the
approval of the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka for
the use of its Enugu Campus for the awards ceremony slated for 17th June.2017
The maiden edition of the prize entertained 320 entries from 64
tertiary institutions with Noah Oladele (Obafemi Awolowo University,
Ile-Ife), Chinelo Nwangwu (University of Ibadan) and Chisom Okafor
(University of Nigeria, Nsukka) declared 1st, 2nd and 3rd prize winners respectively.
NSPP 2017 JUDGES ANNOUNCEMENT
Poets in Nigeria (PIN) are pleased to announce Professor Akachi
Ezeigbo, Mallam Denja Abdullahi, Oladele Babajamu, Ismail Bala, Ceri
Naz, Kukogho Iruesiri Samson, Bassey Asuquo and Okeke Job Izuchukwu as
judges for the 2nd edition of the Nigerian Students Poetry Prize.
Profiles of members of the judging panel chaired by Professor Akachi Ezeigbo are shared below:
- Akachi Adimora-Ezeigbo was born and raised in
Eastern Nigeria, but now lives in Lagos. Raised partially in a rural
environment and partially in the city, she combines these two factors,
as background and setting for her children’s stories and adult fiction.
She obtained her Bachelor of Arts (BA) and Masters (MA) degrees in
English from the University of Lagos and her Ph.D from University of
Ibadan, in Nigeria. She also has a Postgraduate Diploma in Education
(PGDE) from University of Lagos.
A lecturer, writer, novelist, critic, essayist, journalist, and
administrator, she was appointed a professor of English at University of
Lagos in 1999. She has taught in this university, in the Department of
English, since 1981. She headed the English Department in 1997 and 1998,
from 2002-2005, and 2008-2009.
In September 2015, Prof Ezeigbo relocated to Federal University
Ndufu-Alike, Ikwo, Ebonyi State, in South-East Nigeria, where she has
continued to teach students and mentor younger lecturers.
- Denja Abdullahi is a poet, playwright, literary
essayist and culture technocrat. Born in August, 1969 at Idah, he hails
from Agbaja in Lokoja Local Government Area of Kogi State. He has been
writing poetry for over two decades since his days as a student of
English and literature at the University of Jos, Nigeria, where he was
the best graduating student of the 1990 set. He also has a Masters in
Literature-in-English, acquired at the University of Ilorin, Nigeria in
1992. His poems and other literary pieces have appeared in anthologies
such as A Volcano of Voices (1999), Uncle Bola’s Promise (2003), Confluence Blues (2004), Abuja Acolytes (2000), Five Hundred Nigerian Poets (2005), Camouflage (2006), Crossroads(2008), Pyramids (2008), Fireflies (2009), Agogo (2009) and in several other newspapers, reviews, journals and magazines. His first published poetic volume Mairogo: a Buffoon’s Poetic Journey around Northern Nigeria
(2001) received honourable mention for the prestigious ANA/CADBURY 2001
Poetry Prize. Denja Abdullahi published two poetry volumes in 2008, The Talking Drum (February, 2008) and Abuja Nunyi (This is Abuja; May, 2008). His other published works are A Thousand Years of Thirst (2011), Hajj Poems (2014) and Death and the King’s Grey Hair and other Plays (2014).
Abdullahi, a playwright and theatre director, transferred his service
in 1998 to the National Council for Arts and Culture, Abuja-Nigeria
where he presently works as a Director. Denja Abdullahi’s play Death and the King’s Grey Hair
won the SONTA/Chris Iyimoga Master Playwright Prize. Denja Abdullahi
has attended international literary festivals, cultural workshops and
residencies in Ghana, Senegal, Zimbabwe, Algeria and South Korea. He is a
UNESCO certified expert and facilitator on Intangible Cultural Heritage
of Humanity.
- Ismail Bala writes in English and Hausa. He teaches
English at Bayero University, Kano, Nigeria, where he specialises in
modern and contemporary poetry, and literary theory. His poetry and
translations have appeared in the UK, the USA, Canada, India and South
Africa, in journals such as Poetry Review, Ambit, New Coin, Okike, A Review of International English Literature and Aura Literary Arts Review.
Born and educated to university level in Kano, he did his post-graduate
studies at Oxford. He is a Fellow of the International Writing
Programme of the University of Iowa; currently working on his first
collection of poems.
- Oladele Babajamu voluntarily retired from the
Nigerian Army in 2011 as a Colonel after serving meritoriously for over
30 years. He has a Master of Science Degree in Strategic Studies from
University of Ibadan, Nigeria. He has written several military books and
literature in different genres.
His poetry collection, Timeless Verses and short story, The Widow’s Wail
are widely read in many secondary schools in Kwara State, Nigeria. His
poems have appeared in various anthologies including Association of
Nigerian Authors (ANA) Review, Timeless Voices, Timeless Treasures and
Five Hundred Nigerian Poets among others.
While in military service, he was awarded the Nigerian Army Chief of
Army Staff Commendation Award in 2005, for his consistent literary
contributions to the Nigerian Army. He also won the Editor’s Choice
Award in 2006 and 2007 of the International Society of Poets (America)
for his contribution to the development of international poetry. He is a
fellow of the National Defence College of Nigeria.
- Bassey Itam Asuquo is a Nigerian poet from Cross
River State. He schooled at King’s College, Lagos, University of Ibadan
and University of Calabar. He is a co-founder of the Calabar Literary
Society (CLS). He resides in Calabar.
- Kukogho Iruesiri Samson, author of WHAT CAN WORDS
DO (2013) and I SAID THESE WORDS (2015) is a Nigerian writer and media
professional with experience in journalism, PR, publishing, web/social
media management. Kukogho was born in Aiyetoro Ile Ife on the 27th of
December 1984 to parents who both hail from Delta State in Nigeria, as
the third child and son in a family of four children. He grew up in
different parts of the country and speaks Yoruba, Hausa, and a
spattering of Igbo, Nupe and Uhrobo.
With two published poetry collections, a legendary passion for
promoting young writers, and a massive social media poetry movement
called Words Rhymes & Rhythm (WRR), Kukogho is undoubtedly a poet of
note in Nigeria. His interest in the arts started with drawing and wood
carving. Having picked interest in reading and writing very early, due
to the influence of his father who read a lot and made it compulsory for
every member of the family to read his numerous books and newspapers,
Kukogho soon found himself writing in his secondary school days.
Kukogho has been widely recognized for his contributions to Nigerian
poetry. His awards include the Orange Crush First Prize for Poetry,
awarded in 2012, and Poetry Writer of the Year, awarded by the Nigerian
Writers Awards in 2016. He presently lives and works in Abuja, Nigeria.
- Caroline Nazareno-Gabisk.a. Ceri Naz, born in Anda,
Pangasinan (a province in the Philippines) is a multi-awarded poet,
editor, publicist, linguist, educator, and women’s advocate.
She graduated cum laude with a Bachelor’s degree in Elementary
Education, specialized in General Science at Pangasinan State
University. Ceri has been a voracious researcher in various arts,
science and literature. She volunteered in Richmond Multicultural
Concerns Society, TELUS World Science, Vancouver Art Gallery, Vancouver
Aquarium and other charity foundations while she was in Canada.
She received prestigious awards including, 4th Placer Sin World Union
of Poets Poetry Prize with 100 participants worldwide, Writers
International Network-Canada ‘’Amazing Poet 2015’’, The Frang Bardhi
Literary Prize 2014 (Albania), the sair-gazeteci or Poet-Journalist
Award 2014 (Tuzla, Istanbul, Turkey) and World Poetry Empowered Poet
2013 (Vancouver, Canada). She has been published in various
international anthologies.
- Izuchukwu Job Okeke, born and bred in Anambra
state, got admitted into the University of Ilorin in 2013 to read for a
Degree in English—with a Major in Language and Communication and Minor
in Performing Arts. He graduated from the University in 2006, with
Second Class Honours, Upper Division; winning the university’s Senate
Award as the second best graduating student in the department of
English.
Izuchukwu served as the Secretary of the Kwara chapter of the
Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA) from 2009 to 2011 and the Public
Relation Officer of the Abuja chapter from 2011 to 2013.
He currently resides in Busan, South Korea as a researcher attached
to Pukyong National University. Recently, he joined the International
Congress of Writers writing in Hangeul. Also, he is a judge of some
poetry contests including the Korea/Nigerian Poetry Contest.
