Words Rhymes & Rhythm is thrilled to announce the winners of the 2025 Eriata Oribhabor Poetry Prize (EOPP). This year’s competition, which received an overwhelming number of entries from Nigerian poets at home and in the diaspora, has once again proven that the heartbeat of Nigerian literature is as vibrant and resilient as ever.
Following a rigorous judging process by our esteemed judges, poets Sodiq Alabi and Jide Badmus, three poems have emerged from a shortlist of ten finalists (selected from a longlist of 30) to claim the top honours. These poems stood out for their exceptional craft, emotional weight, and their ability to capture the complexities of the human and national experience.
THE WINNERS
- 1st Place (Winner of ₦100,000): Aremu Goodness Adejare for “THE COUNTRY PRACTISES BREATHING”
- 1st Runner-up (Winner of ₦60,000): Obiotika Wilfred Toochukwu for “PEDAGOGUE ON A HARMATTAN TREK”
- 2nd Runner-up (Winner of ₦40,000): Adebola Temitayo Ogunyemi for “AUTOPSY OF A DECEASED COUNTRY”
A Glimpse Into the Winning Voices & Their Works
- AREMU GOODNESS ADEJARE is a 300-level Law student at the University of Ibadan with a deep commitment to academic excellence, social impact, and advocacy. A distinguished writer and volunteer, he is particularly focused on the field of International Law. The Country Practises Breathing is a haunting observation of a nation’s daily ritual—the quiet, measured rhythm of survival in a world where “still standing” is often mistaken for healing. It explores the tension between the silence of administration and the soundless scream growing beneath the surface.
- OBIOTIKA WILFRED TOOCHUKWU is an emerging Nigerian creative writer whose journey is marked by a powerful return to his craft. A former Literature-in-English student at Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, he has transitioned from journalistic reporting to creative storytelling, bringing a fresh perspective to his readers. Pedagogue On A Harmattan Trek takes us on an atmospheric journey through the dust and brittle air of the dry season, following a teacher who carries the weight of “borrowed futures” across a landscape of cracked windows and quiet endurance. It is a testament to the dignity of trying, even when the season is at its harshest.
- ADEBOLA TEMITAYO OGUNYEMI is an early childhood educator and program coordinator at OpenKids Africa. She uniquely blends pedagogical expertise with digital literacy, holding a bachelor’s degree in Computer Technology alongside a postgraduate diploma in Early Childhood Education. Autopsy Of A Deceased Country casts a clinical and unflinching gaze at a nation on the operating table. As the scalpel uncovers a history written in bruises and fractures, the search for a cause of death reveals a diagnosis that hits closer to home than anyone expected.
The other EOPP 2025 top10 finalists are Akindutire Elizabeth Abosede for “What Survives the Morning”, Rachael Ajisafe for “Between Two Skies”, Chiwenite Onyekwelu for “Before My Father Loved Me, He Didn’t”, Ogedengbe Tolulope Impact for “Mathematics”, Gospel Okoro for “Where My Name Learns to Walk Without Me”, Gloria Ameh for “Insistence”, and Awoyemi Olamilekan Israel for “The Geography of Forgotten Cities”.
Congratulations to our winners and to every poet who shared their truth with us this year!
The EOPP 2025 Anthology
The winning poems, along with the top 20 entries from this year’s competition, have been published in the EOPP 2025 anthology titled “The Country Practises Breathing“, named after the winning poem.
As part of our commitment to making literature accessible to all, the anthology is available for FREE download. We invite you to immerse yourself in these diverse voices and experience the “breathing” heart of contemporary Nigerian poetry. Download below:
- For more about the Prize’s history, mission, and past winners, visit https://authorpedia.net/csr/eopp/
- For inquiries or partnership opportunities, please get in touch with us at info@wrr.ng. Our team will be happy to provide any clarification or support you may need.
