NLNG $100,000 Winner Ifowodo: Leah Sharibu Is A Symbol Of Nigeria’s Besieged State

Ogaga Ifowodo, on Friday, won the 2026 Nigeria Prize for Literature for his poetry collection, ‘Why Does God Need a Gun?’. He was named the winner at Nigeria LNG Limited (NLNG)’s grand award night in Lagos on Friday, beating two other shortlisted poets in a competition with 223 entries. The prize includes a $100,000 award for his work examining religious and political violence. Fresh from recognition of his poetry collection, the acclaimed poet and writer poses questions that extend far beyond literature. At the heart of the collection lies a troubling contradiction: how does faith, so often associated with mercy and humanity, become a justification for violence? Through the voices of vic...