A new national poetry competition has arrived in Nigeria, and it comes with serious institutional weight behind it. The Pius Oleghe Poetry and Literary Awards (POPALS), named in honour of Pius Enahoro Oleghe, a distinguished Nigerian educator who devoted more than four decades of his life to education, language, and the quiet formation of young minds across the Western, Bendel, and Edo regions of Nigeria, has opened its inaugural competition for 2026. The theme is “The Nigeria of Our Dreams,” and the awards are open to Nigerian citizens and residents between the ages of 12 and 35. Submissions open June 10 and close June 24, 2026.

The competition is divided into two categories: the Young Voices Category for poets aged 12 to 17, and the Emerging Poets Category for poets aged 18 to 35. Each category carries a grand prize of ₦1,000,000, bringing the total prize pool to ₦2,000,000. Winners will also receive publication opportunities, certificates of recognition, mentorship, and wider literary exposure. Poems must be original and unpublished, between 40 and 60 lines, submitted in English or with an English translation, with one entry per poet.

The judges assembled for the inaugural edition represent some of the most authoritative voices in Nigerian literary scholarship: Prof. Maria Ajima, Prof. Emmanuel Sule Egya, Prof. Chimalum Nwankwo, Dr. Deji Ige, and Prof. Chike Okoye. The awards are coordinated by two figures who need little introduction, Prof. Remi Raji, award-winning poet, scholar, and former President of the Association of Nigerian Authors, and award-winning playwright Nnamdi Okose, who together serve as Literary Directors.

POPALS is asking young Nigerians to imagine the nation they wish to inherit and help create, at a moment when that question feels more urgent than ever. Poetry, as the organizers put it, remains one of the most powerful ways of dreaming, questioning, and reimagining a collective future.

Submit at popals.org by June 24, 2026.