The Future Awards Africa Announces Nominees for Literature Category
The Future Awards Africa is an annual award ceremony presented by The Future Project (TFP), a social enterprise with a strong, practical commitment to human and capital development, especially in Africa.
Created by Chude Jideonwo and Adebola Williams in 2004, the first edition did not take place until February 6, 2006. Over the years, the award’s goal has remained to celebrate young people aged 18 to 31 who have achieved outstandingly in the year under consideration.
For the 19th Edition this year, the awards theme “Threads of Legacy” spotlights the young changemakers shaping Africa’s tomorrow in the various 25 categories presented. For Literature, the award honors those who excel in poetry, drama, prose, and other written works that have made a cultural impact and inspired change.
The Literature Nominees for the 19th The Future Awards Africa are:
Adedayo Agarau
Hauwa Shaffii Nuhu
Troy Onyango (Kenya)
Chioma Rosemary
Chukwuebuka Ibeh
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About the Nominees
Adedayo Agarau
Adedayo Agarau is a Nigerian poet, editor, and educator. He received his M.F.A. in Poetry from the University of Iowa in 2023 and is currently a Wallace Stegner Fellow at Stanford University (2023-2025). His debut collection, The Year of Blood, is forthcoming from Fordham University Press (Fall 2025). Salma Begum represents his writing at The Greyhound Literary Agency. Agarau is actively involved in developing literary communities in Nigeria. He is a member of The UnSerious Collective Fellowship, an initiative supporting emerging Nigerian writers. Additionally, he is a founding editor of Poetry Sango-Ota, which organizes poetry workshops and mentoring opportunities for young Nigerian poets.
Agarau is fluent in English, Pidgin, and Yoruba. His work often explores themes of migration, cultural memory, and postcolonial identity.
Hauwa Shaffii Nuhu
Hauwa Shaffii Nuhu is a journalist from Nigeria with by-lines in several international publications. She is currently Managing Editor at HumAngle Media. She is a 2018 writer-in-residence at Ebedi Writers Residency and a 2022 Storify Africa Fellow. Her work examines the human cost of terrorism and insurgencies, as they relate to transitional justice issues, migration, and displacement.
Troy Onyango
Troy Onyango is a London-based writer and editor from Kisumu, Kenya, and the founder of Lolwe, a Pan-African literary and arts platform. He is also the owner of Lolwe Books, an independent Pan-African bookshop with branches in both Kenya and the UK. His debut collection of short stories, For What Are Butterflies Without Their Wings, was published in 2022. An alumnus of the Caine Prize Workshop, Miles Morland Workshop, Jalada Workshop, Goethe Workshop, and the Kwani?-SLS Workshop, he has also been a writer-in-residence at the Ebedi Writers Residency in Nigeria.
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Chioma Rosemary
Chioma Rosemary is a trailblazing Nigerian entrepreneur, writer, and creative professional whose dynamic career spans over 17 years. She has built an impressive portfolio as a writer, poet, novelist, dramatist, blogger, graphic designer, publisher, and motivational speaker.
Chioma earned a Bachelor of Arts in English Language and Literature from Abia State University, Uturu, and a Master of Arts in Parliamentary Administration from the University of Benin. Her educational background reflects her passion for knowledge and her ability to turn ideas into impactful ventures.
She is also the CEO of Cromstar Nig. Ltd, Crombooks Store, BBF Fashion, Chirose Illustrations, Chioma’s Literary Services, Cromstar Cleaning Services, BBF Eshop, BBF Food and Snacks, Chi the Realtor and BBF Beauty Lounge. Her ventures span industries, from publishing and real estate to fashion and beauty.
Chukwuebuka Ibeh
Chukwuebuka Ibeh is a writer from Port Harcourt, Nigeria, born in 2000. His writing has appeared in McSweeneys, New England Review of Books and Lolwe, amongst others, and he is a staff writer at Brittle Paper. He was the runner-up for the 2021 J.F. Powers Prize for Fiction, was a finalist for the Gerald Kraak Award, and was profiled as one of the “Most Promising New Voices of Nigerian Fiction” by Electric Literature. He has studied creative writing under Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Dave Eggers, and Tash Aw, and is currently an MFA student at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri.
The winner will be announced in November. To learn more, visit the official social media page of The Future Awards Africa. Congratulations to the nominees of The Future Awards Africa.
