Olubunmi Oluranti Familoni

By Nehru Odeh

Olubunmi Oluranti Familoni author of “The road does not end” has won the 2024 Nigeria Prize for Literature. By winning the highly contested prize, he goes home with $100,000.

The Chairperson of the Advisory Board, Professor Akachi Ezeigbo  announced Familoni as the winner at the Grand Award night, which held on Friday, 11 October 2024 at Eko Hotel and Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos.  This year’s focus was on children’s literature.

Familoni’s book beat the two other shortlisted works; “A Father’s Pride by Ndidi Chiazor-Enenmo and “Wish Maker” by Uchechukwu Peter Umezurike, to win the prize.

“The road does not end, according to Ezeigbo, addresses the critical issue of child labour in society.

‘The book explores themes of resilience and human connection, emphasizing the importance of relationships and the need for continuous self-improvement,” she said.

The Board praised its language, technicality, subject matter, and meticulous editing.

Explaining the rationale for choosing the winning book, Ezeigbo noted that the Board and the panel of judges prioritized excellence and recognized the significant impact the prize has on young Nigerians.

In his acceptance speech, Familoni commended the NLNG for creating the annual Prize, which has elevated literature and empowered many writers.

This year’s panel of judges, led by Prof. Saleh Abdu of the Federal University of Kashere, Gombe State, includes Prof. Vicky Sylvester and Dr. Osarobu Igudia.

The Advisory Board of the Nigerian Prize for Science 2024 had earlier announced the trio of Olajide Otitoju, Eni Oko and Meihong Wang, a professor, as winners.

They won with their thorough research work on Process Intensification Technology.

Another highlight of the event was the presentation of posthumous awards by Philip Mshelbila, managing director/CEO, Nigeria LNG Limited, to the families of Umaru Shehu, a late professor emeritus and Ladipo Ayodeji Banjo, a late professor, who the company described as true scholars, who though dead, still live on in the minds they raised while alive.