Nightengale Literary Awards
Hosts 2026 Ceremony, Rewards Young Writers
Owerri,
Nigeria – February 28, 2026
The
Nightengale Literary Awards Ceremony 2026 was held on February 28 in Owerri,
bringing together young writers, educators and supporters of literature to
celebrate outstanding talents from the Season One competition conducted on
November 22, 2025.
At
the ceremony, Confidence Okonkwo emerged as the overall winner of the
competition for her poem titled Echoes of Longevity. She
received a cash prize of ₦30,000, an award plaque, and a copy of the book she
used for the competition. Her work was commended for its depth, creativity and
strong literary expression.
The
second position was awarded to Precious-Gold Orieukwu for her prose piece Dark
Wakefulness. She received ₦20,000 in recognition of her originality
and compelling narrative voice.
Chizaram DivineFavour Tobechi secured the third position
for her prose titled Love in the Time of Chaos. She was presented
with ₦10,000 and an award plaque in recognition of her emerging excellence in
creative writing.
In addition to the top three winners, three participants
were honoured with the Emerging Voice in Literature Award for their creativity,
passion and consistent commitment to writing during the competition. The
recipients were Ahunwa Maryfavour, Ezuruike Precious Chimemezuwo, and Francis
Chimamkpam Okenwa. The award recognised their dedication and growing literary
journeys.
Two distinguished individuals who were not participants
in the competition were also recognised during the event. Dogged Comrade
Nwadike A.W. Orient received the Good Ambassador for Education and Youth Award
for his support of education and youth development initiatives. Rev. Sr. Alice
Nwadugwu Orji (DHS) was presented with the Excellence in Literature Education
Award in recognition of her contributions to teaching literature and nurturing
young minds.
Speaking at the ceremony, the Founder of the Nightengale
Literary Awards, Nightengale Ben-Onyeukwu, encouraged young writers to remain
persistent in pursuing their dreams. She noted that every big dream starts
small but grows with courage and persistence, urging participants to keep
building and pushing forward.
The ceremony concluded on a hopeful note, with organisers
reaffirming their commitment to promoting literary excellence and empowering
emerging voices in Nigeria’s literary community.
