TY Buratai Literary Initiative Unveils 2025 Longlist for Young Adult Literature Prize
TY Buratai Literary Initiative Unveils 2025 Longlist for Young Adult Literature Prize
By Matthew Eloyi
The TY Buratai Literary Initiative (TYBLI) has released the longlist of six contenders for its prestigious 2025 Young Adult Literature Prize, selected from 106 entries submitted across the country.
The announcement marks a major step in the build-up to the grand awards ceremony scheduled for November 1, 2025. According to the organizers, a shortlist of three finalists will be unveiled later in October before the overall winner is crowned.
The longlist of zonal winners, announced in alphabetical order, includes:
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Adoo Gyuur – Daughters of Ashes (North Central)
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Daniel Yohanna – A Boy From Far North (North East)
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ER Umukoro – The Distortion of Hardassah (South South)
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Ikemefuna Chinenyike Lawrence Ezemagu – Garden of Garget (South East)
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Sarah Yousuph – When the Road Curves (South West)
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Yusrah Bashir Gaga – My Darkest Nightmares (North West)
Chairperson of TYBLI, Dr. Lizi Ben Iheanacho, expressed appreciation to all 106 entrants, urging them to keep writing regardless of the outcome. She noted that every contribution was valuable, emphasizing that the initiative is committed to nurturing and spotlighting young voices in literature.
The TY Buratai Literary Initiative, founded by Lt. Gen. T.Y. Buratai (Rtd.), is a non-profit project dedicated to promoting literacy, fostering a culture of reading, and supporting emerging writers, particularly in the Young Adult Literature (YAL) genre. One of its signature activities is the Book Placement Program, which donates mobile libraries and “book boxes” to underserved schools to improve access to leisure reading materials.
In 2024, TYBLI launched the maiden edition of the YAL Prize, where Truth and Dare by Olatunbosun Taofeek clinched the grand prize of ₦1 million. For 2025, the stakes have been raised, with the grand prize increased to ₦1.5 million, while each of the six zonal winners will receive ₦500,000.
As part of its broader outreach this year, TYBLI also donated mini-libraries to schools including Girau International School and LGEA Unguwar Sarki in Kaduna, the School of the Gifted in Gwagwalada, Air Force Girls Comprehensive School in Abuja, and Nasarawa State University, Uke, Keffi.
The initiative further disclosed that an anthology of the best ten stories from the 2024 competition is in the works and will be distributed nationwide to secondary and tertiary institutions.
With the release of its 2025 longlist, TYBLI has reaffirmed its call for sponsors, media partners, literary platforms, and educational institutions to collaborate in amplifying its mission of empowering young writers and deepening the reading culture in Nigeria.
