Call for Submissions: Eriata Oribhabor Poetry Prize 2025 — How to Enter, What to Know & Resources for Poets

The Eriata Oribhabor Poetry Prize (EOPP) has opened submissions for its 2025 edition, inviting Nigerian poets at home and in the diaspora to submit their strongest original poems. With over a decade of nurturing poetic talent, the prize remains one of Nigeria’s most enduring literary platforms.

This year’s prize awards a total of ₦200,000, alongside publication opportunities in the 2025 anthology.

Whether you’re an emerging poet or a seasoned writer seeking visibility, this is a great opportunity to share your work with a wider audience — and perhaps even take home a prize.

Why the EOPP Matters

For years, the prize has amplified diverse poetic voices and celebrated imagination without restrictions on theme or subject. Your poem can explore anything meaningful to you — memory, politics, the body, history, joy, grief, everyday life, nature, identity.

If you need inspiration, consider reading:

• Six Nigerian poets on editing, rejections, and building a writing life, available here: read interviews with 6 Nigerian poets.
• How one poet earned $1,200 from writing and publishing, which can help you understand the opportunities available for poets today: how I earned my first $1200 from poetry.
• A simple guide to poem interpretation, helpful for strengthening your craft: how to analyze a poem.

Prizes

• ₦100,000 — First Prize
• ₦60,000 — First Runner-up
• ₦40,000 — Second Runner-up
• Top 20 poems will appear in the 2025 EOPP anthology.

Submission Guidelines for the Eriata Oribhabor Poetry Prize

• Submit one original poem in the body of your email (no attachments).
• Email entries to: SUBMISSIONS@WRR.NG
• Use the subject line: “EOPP 2025”
• Include your full name, contact details, and a brief bio.
• Poems containing vulgarity or profanity will be disqualified.

Eligibility for the Eriata Oribhabor Poetry Prize 

All Nigerians worldwide are eligible to submit.

Important Dates

• Deadline: December 28, 2025
• Judges’ decisions are final.
• No entry fee.
• By submitting, poets retain copyright but grant publication rights for the anthology.

Meet the 2025 Judges

• Sodiq Alabi — poet, social commentator, and author of Deaf Birds and Frozen Frames
• Jide Badmus — poet, engineer, and founder of INKspiredng

Both judges bring years of literary experience and an eye for work that is imaginative, skillful, and emotionally resonant.

Founded in 2012, the EOPP has grown into one of Nigeria’s longest-running poetry competitions. You can learn more about its history, patron, and past winners here:
https://authorpedia.net/csr/eopp/

Submit your poem. Share your voice. Let your work travel.