Winners Emerge in the 2024 Abebi Award in AfroNonfiction Celebrating The Power of Women’s Stories.

The Abebi AfroNonfiction Institute, established by award-winning writer Mofiyinfoluwa O, held the award ceremony for the annual Abebi Award in AfroNonfiction in a quiet but stunning ceremony in the heart of Ikeja on the 11th of January 2025. The evening was one of beautiful stories, amazing people and a keen celebration of the impact of literature on our lives both as individuals and as a collective society. The Abebi Award was established in 2023 to highlight, honour and celebrate Nigerian women writing creative nonfiction (i.e. stories fashioned after real life experiences). The Institute and its efforts, chief of them The Abebi Award, exist to shine a light on the revolutionary power of personal narrative as a source of healing, expression and community building. In the 2024 Abebi Award, The Institute received two hundred and fifty submissions from across the country, more specially from every geopolitical zone.

This speaks to the wide-reaching impact of the award and the ambitions of Nigerian women no matter their location to write and create in this genre. Of the 25o submissions received, the top five writers were selected by a highly esteemed panel of judges consisting of the Founder and Ajoke Bodunde and Ope Adedeji, two brilliant Nigerian writers with extensive track records in writing and editing creative nonfiction. The winner of the 2024 Abebi Award in AfroNonfiction was Mariam Tijani, a 21 year old Accounting Student from The University of Lagos.

Her entry, My Grandmother’s Memory Box, stunned the judges for the simplicity of the language, and the emotive brilliance that shone through as the writer takes us through the last days of her aging grandmother whose battle with dementia revealed the power of photographs to connect us to those we love. There was a runner up, Ifeoluwa William’s whose essay Genesis: Notes on Dysphoria was a moving exploration of acne, beauty and the demands of perfection in adolescence.

Three notable entries consisted of essays from Fatima Abdullahi (who came to Lagos all the way from Kaduna), and Azeeza Adeowu and Shalom Tewebola. All of their essays were selected for their authenticity, closeness to self and willingness to interrogate the inner realities of their lives. All essays will be published with Isele Magazine, a premier publication championing African literature today.

All the winning writers received cash prizes but more than the money, all writers were invited to an all expense paid residency where the Founder facilitated engaging workshops, mind-mapping masterclasses and created a heart-warming avenue for the writers to bond and create new work. The crowning jewel was the award ceremony, held in a small garden as golden rays of the sun shone down on us.

Of the residency provided by The Institute, the winning writer, Mariam Tijani wrote; “If I had to sum up my experience of the residence in one word, it would be intentionality. Every detail, no matter how small, proves how much mindfulness was put into creating the residence, and providing a supportive environment for thoughtful reflection and growth. I loved listening to the brilliant facilitator, and I am deeply inspired by the resilience of the women and stories shared. My time in the Abebi residency has truly been a transformative journey, and I’m excited to emerge as a more polished, passionate and powerful writer.”

The 2024 Abebi Award in AfroNonfiction was generously sponsored by well wishers of literature and art in the country. We look forward to an even greater event in the coming years. Here is to celebrating powerful women, telling powerful stories.