Jude Idada wins 2019 NLNG literature prize | EduCeleb
EduCeleb
12th October 2019
Jude Idada has been declared winner of the 2019 Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) Prize money of $100,000 for Nigeria literature.
Idada was declared winner from over 80 entries and at his third time of asking, he won the prize money with his book, Boom Boom.
In his emotional speech, Idada dedicated the NLNG prize to “everyone living with sickle cell anaemia” who he described as warriors.
He also dedicated the award to his niece, nicknamed Boom Boom, whom he described as the inspiration behind the book.
“This award is for everyone; the last three finalists, the 12-year-old girl that was also a contender and one of those cheering me all the way. We will keep winning.”
Despite not initially being of arts background in secondary school, Idada had excelled in authorship, acting and  filmmaking over the years.
After a failed application to study medicine, he got offered agricultural economics but followed his passion months into that.
Idada sought another admissions into the University of Ibadan where he had a first degree in theater arts.
In the course of his career, Idada had won several awards.
To his credit is winning the Nigeria Prize for Literature in 2013 for the stage play Oduduwa, King of the Edos.
He had also bagged the Association of Nigerian Authors Award Best Drama for the same work.
With his works, he had also previously won the Africa Movie Academy Awards.