The Book Buzz Foundation,  the organisation behind the Ake Arts and Book Festival and the Kaduna Book and Arts Festival is now accepting applications for the Nigeria Picture Book Project, a 12-month, European Union-funded programme designed to build Nigeria’s children’s picture book ecosystem from the ground up.

The project was officially launched in October 2025 and is part of the broader Book Storm initiative, which Lola Shoneyin’s foundation has been running since 2023 with the goal of publishing 100 high-quality Nigerian picture books by 2027. Eleven books have already been produced. The Nigeria Picture Book Project is the next major push.

The programme will select writers from each of Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones who will be guided through the full process of producing a picture book: writing, editing, design, and layout. Applications are open to Nigerians between the ages of 21 and 30 with a passion for writing for children. No prior publishing experience is required — the programme is explicitly a training and capacity-building initiative. If you are a writer with something to say to Nigerian children, apply here.