TYBLI Honours Four Varsity VCs, Celebrates Late Literary Icon Mabel Segun
By Matthew Eloyi
The TY Buratai Literary Initiative (TYBLI) has announced four university vice-chancellors and late Nigerian literary icon, Mabel Segun, as recipients of its 2026 Special Recognition Awards for their contributions to academic leadership, research, educational innovation and literature.
The awards will be presented at the 2026 Young Adult Literature Prize (YALP) ceremony scheduled for Wednesday, November 18, at the TY Buratai Research Centre, along Abuja–Keffi Road, Abuja.
The four university heads selected for the honours are Professor Peter Olamakinde Olapegba of the University of Ibadan; Professor Folasade Ogunsola of the University of Lagos; Professor Haruna Musa of Bayero University, Kano; and Professor Sa’adatu Hassan Liman of Nasarawa State University, Keffi.
Olapegba will receive the TYBLI Award for Excellence in Academic Leadership and Research Mentorship in recognition of his scholarship, over 110 academic publications, research grantsmanship and leadership as the 14th Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ibadan.
Ogunsola is being honoured for Transformational Leadership and Innovation in Education, particularly her achievements as the first female Vice-Chancellor of the University of Lagos, her administration’s success in attracting over N4 billion in funding and initiatives promoting artificial intelligence and robotics education for girls.
Musa will receive the Award for Institutional Advancement and Research Impact for his efforts to strengthen research and innovation at Bayero University, Kano, including support for a N36 million zinc-air battery project.
Similarly, Liman will be recognised for Transformational Leadership and Advancement of Higher Education, following her emergence as the first female Vice-Chancellor of Nasarawa State University, Keffi, and her commitment to institutional development, academic excellence and research innovation.
The initiative will also posthumously honour Mabel Segun with the TYBLI Special Recognition Award for YAL Forerunners, celebrating her enduring contributions to Nigerian literature and the development of generations of readers and writers.
Segun, a renowned writer, poet, educator and advocate of children’s literature, devoted much of her life to nurturing young readers, encouraging literary creativity and promoting Nigerian literature.
In a statement, TYBLI Chairperson, Dr. Liz Ben Iheanacho, said the initiative considers literacy, education, research, innovation and literature essential pillars of national development.
She explained that the Special Recognition Awards were designed to celebrate individuals whose contributions have advanced knowledge, institutional growth, intellectual development and the preservation of Nigeria’s literary heritage.
The ceremony will also feature the unveiling of the 2025 TYBLI Young Adult Literature Prize Anthology and the announcement of the 2026 Grand Prize winner, selected from three finalists representing different geopolitical zones of the country.
The overall winner will receive an additional N1.5 million, bringing the total prize value to N2 million.
The event will be hosted by the founder and sponsor of TYBLI, retired Lieutenant-General Tukur Yusuf Buratai, while Professor Ambassador Tijjani Bande will chair the occasion. The Ona of Abaji, His Royal Majesty, Alhaji Adamu Baba Yunusa, will serve as the royal father of the day.
The ceremony, which begins at 2 p.m., is expected to attract prominent personalities from academia, literature, culture and public service.
TYBLI is committed to promoting reading culture, encouraging creative writing, discovering emerging literary talents and advancing young adult literature in Nigeria through its annual Young Adult Literature Prize and related literary development programmes.
