The Advisory Boards for The Nigeria Prize for Literature, The Nigeria Prize for Science and The Literary Criticism Prize, have called for entries in the 2019 edition of the awards.

The event, which is sponsored by sponsored by Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas Limited, is currently in its 15th year.

The organisation, in a statement on Friday, said submission of entries in the literature prize and literary criticism prize officially opened on February 15 and will close on April 5.

On the other hand, entries for the science prize, which also opened on February 15 will close on May 3.

The literature and science prizes attract a cash prize of $100, 000 each for the winners, while the winner of the literary criticism prize will receive the sum of N1m.

The science prize, which recognises outstanding scientific achievements by Nigerians, will focus on Climate Change: Erosion, Drought, and Desertification this year.

On the other hand, the 2019 literature prize will focus on Children’s Literature. The prize, which honours the author of the best book by a Nigerian, rotates among four literary genres, namely Prose Fiction, Poetry, Drama and Children’s Literature.

The literary criticism prize, which also aims at promoting Nigerian literature, will receive entries on works in criticism of works by Nigerian writers, especially critical essays on new writings in Nigerian literature.

A professor of Creative Writing at the University of Ibadan, Obododinma Oha, will head the panel of judges for this year’s literature and the literary criticism competitions.

Other members of the panel include Asabe Usman Kabir, a professor, and Patrick Okolo.

Mr Kabir teaches Oral and African Literature at the Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto, while Mr Oloko teaches African Postcolonial Literature at the University of Lagos.

In 2018, Soji Cole won the literature prize award with his play, Embers; Peter Ngene clinched the science prize for his work in Innovation in electric power and Isidore Diala, a professor of the Imo State University, Owerri, took home the literary criticism prize.

The Nigeria Prize for Literature has rewarded eminent writers, such as the late Ikeogu Oke (2017, Poetry) with The Heresiad; Abubakar Ibrahim (2016, Prose) with Season of Crimson Blossoms; Sam Ukala (2014, Drama) with Iredi War.

Others are Tade Ipadeola (2013, Poetry) with his collection of poems, Sahara Testaments, Chika Unigwe (2012, prose), with her novel, On Black Sister’s Street; and Adeleke Adeyemi (2011, children’s literature) with his book, The Missing Clock, to mention only a few.