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CORA-NPL Book Party fill us all with hope – Odeh

(Opening remarks by Andy Odeh, General Manager, External Relations & Sustainable Development, Nigeria Lng Limited at the CORA-NPL Book Party held August 17, 2024, at the MUSON Centre, Lagos)

Everyone comes to the book party happy, and everyone goes home happy.  We are all filled with hope. Hope to win, hope to be among the best three, hope to see a new winner, and for our wonderful pressmen here present, the hope to deliver to the world, the spicy news of the next laureate of the Nigeria Prize for Literature

DISTINGUISHED writers and lovers of literature, I welcome you to the 2024 CORA/NPL Book Party where we celebrate the best of books and the very best of writers in the genre of Literature prizes awarded annually. The genre we are awarding this year is Children’s Literature and the eventual winner goes home with a prize of $100,000 in October 2024.

A moment of silence for Professor Emeritus Ayo Banjo – Life Patron of the NPL.

This is the 20th edition of the Nigeria Prize for Literature. Also, this year, Nigeria LNG is 35 years since incorporation and has been producing LNG for 25 years. So, what a year we are in.

The whole process of the prize administration kicked off in the first week of February this year when the call for entries was published. Over 150 entries from writers of Nigerian origin across the globe were received. Top on the list of these entries are those from today’s exceptional eleven namely, Ndidi Chiazor-Enenmor, Familoni Oluranti Olubunmi, Henry Akubuiro, Anietie Usen, Uchechukwu Peter Umezuruike, Temiloluwa Adeshina, Hyginus Ekwuazi, Olatubosun Taofeek, Jumoke Verissimo, Ayo Adeliyi Oyeku and Akanni Festus Olaniyi.

Nigeria LNG to the Council for Regular Arts (CORA), organizers of this annual event, for ensuring that the book party never stops. This same sentiment is heartily extended to all Nigerian writers no matter where you live or work from. Without your efforts, there would be no Nigeria Prize for Literature.

The CORA Book party is remarkable. It brings together authors, books, journalists and lovers of literature and the arts to congregate in one room to celebrate books and their authors. Everyone comes to the book party happy, and everyone goes home happy. We are all filled with hope. Hope to win, hope to be among the best three, hope to see a new winner, and for our wonderful pressmen here present, the hope to deliver to the world, the spicy news of the next laureate of the Nigeria Prize for Literature.

I will not end without a proper appreciation of the following stakeholders for their support to the Nigeria Prize for Literature:

  • The Press
  • Nigeria Academy of Letters
  • Advisory Board for the Nigeria Prize for Literature
  • Panel of Judges and external Consultants
  • All writers whose works have been entered for prize
  • All past winners
  • Literary Critics
  • Administrators of the Prize
  • Committee for Relevant Arts – CORA

Thank you for making the Nigeria Prize for Literature one of the most prestigious and sort after literary prize.

As you enjoy the party, lets continue to build a better Nigeria.

Thank you.

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