At least 184 poets are jostling for the $100,000 coveted prize at the 2017 edition of the Nigeria Prize for Literature sponsored by Nigerian LNG.
The grand prize is one of the few that have survived the recession that has battled sponsors and the generality of Nigeria in the past few years.
Indication came that the competition will be very keen came on Tuesday at a ceremony where NLNG handed over the entries to the Advisory Board headed by Professor Emeritus Ayo Banjo.
The programme signifies the beginning of the judging process which would culminate in the announcement of the winner in October.
NLNG’s General Manager, External Relations, Dr Kudo Eresia-Eke, said the prize had inspired some 1,630 books, of which 533, representing 32 per cent, were submitted in the poetry category since the inception of the prize in 2004.
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