Two young Nigerian poets, Uzoigwe Miracle and Aremu Goodness Adejare, have emerged winners of the maiden edition of the Pius Oleghe Poetry and Literary Awards (POPALS), securing a combined prize of ₦2 million in recognition of their outstanding literary works.
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Miracle won the Young Voices category for poets aged 12 to 17, while Adejare claimed the top prize in the Emerging Poets category for participants aged 18 to 35. Each winner received ₦1 million, alongside publication opportunities, certificates of recognition, mentorship, and literary exposure.
Organisers said the winners emerged after a rigorous adjudication process conducted by an independent panel of distinguished judges, who evaluated more than 145 entries submitted from across Nigeria and beyond under the theme “Nigeria of Our Dreams.”
The panel of judges included Prof. Maria Ajima, Prof. Emmanuel Sule Egya, Prof. Chimalum Nwankwo, Dr. Deji Ige, and Prof. Chike Okoye, while the competition was coordinated by award-winning poet and former President of the Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA), Prof. Remi Raji, alongside playwright Nnamdi Okose, who served as literary directors.
According to the organisers, Miracle impressed the judges with exceptional creativity, originality and poetic craftsmanship in the Young Voices category, while Adejare’s winning entry stood out for its artistic excellence and thoughtful engagement with the competition’s theme in the Emerging Poets category.
The organisers also announced that shortlisted entries from the competition will be published in the inaugural Pius Oleghe Poetry Prize Anthology, preserving some of the finest works submitted during the maiden edition of the award.
Commending all participants, the literary directors described the quality of submissions as evidence of Nigeria’s rich literary talent and the enduring relevance of poetry as a tool for imagination, hope and national reflection.
They reaffirmed the organisers’ commitment to discovering, nurturing and celebrating emerging writers while creating opportunities for young poets to showcase their works across Nigeria, Africa and the global literary community.
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