‘See Morocco, See Spain’: ANA Rescues Achebe Prize As Funding Remains Unpaid
When ANA Had to Pay: The Story Behind the 2025 Achebe Literature Prize
THE recognition had already been secured. The winner had been announced. The literary honour had been conferred.
But the money attached to the 2025 Chinua Achebe Prize for Literature was still missing.
That left the Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA) with a difficult choice: wait for the sponsor to release the funds or intervene to ensure that the winning writer received what had been promised.
ANA chose the latter.
The association has paid ₦1 million from its own purse to Ndidi Chiazor-Enenmor, winner of the 2025 prize for her novel, See Morocco, See Spain.
A Prize Announced, But Money Delayed
Chiazor-Enenmor was declared the winner at the award dinner held during the 44th ANA International Convention in Abuja.
Her novel emerged from 15 submissions for the 2025 edition of the prize, which is instituted by the Anambra State Government and administered by ANA.
The award carries a ₦1 million cash prize and is intended to recognise excellence in prose fiction and contemporary Nigerian writing.
Yet after the announcement of the winner, the financial component of the award was not released by the Anambra State Government.
The delay created an unusual situation in which a writer had received the literary honour but remained without the cash prize attached to it.
ANA Chooses to Protect the Award
ANA President Dr. Usman Oladipo Akanbi and Acting General Secretary Wole Adedoyin said the association’s national executive eventually decided to use its own resources to pay the winner.
The move, according to ANA, was necessary to protect the dignity of the writer and preserve the credibility of the Chinua Achebe Prize.
The association has not, however, abandoned its expectation that the Anambra State Government will release the outstanding funds.
ANA said reimbursement would enable it to restore the resources used to settle the winner.
The Winner’s Response
Chiazor-Enenmor welcomed the intervention and expressed appreciation to ANA for ensuring that the delay did not leave her indefinitely without the prize money.
She described the decision to pay from ANA’s purse as “nothing short of noble” and acknowledged the sacrifice involved.
The writer also expressed hope that the Anambra State Government would fulfil its financial obligation to the prize.
Her response placed the episode within a wider conversation about the relationship between literary institutions, government sponsors and Nigerian writers.
More Than a Literary Trophy
The Chinua Achebe Prize carries significance beyond its financial value.
Named after the late Chinua Achebe, whose works helped shape modern African literature, the award represents an institutional effort to sustain his legacy while encouraging contemporary Nigerian writers.
The prize operates through the Chinua Achebe Literary Prize Endowment Fund. Professor Emeka Aniagolu serves as chairman of its Board of Trustees and Steering Committee.
By continuing to administer the prize, ANA also positions itself as a custodian of literary standards and a platform for recognising Nigerian creative talent.
See Morocco, See Spain & the ‘Japa’ Generation
Chiazor-Enenmor’s winning novel gives the award a particularly contemporary dimension.
See Morocco, See Spain explores the so-called “japa” phenomenon—the growing desire among young Nigerians to leave the country in search of economic opportunity and a better quality of life.
The novel follows six young Nigerians who embark on dangerous migration journeys, including routes through the Sahara towards North Africa and attempts to reach Europe across the Mediterranean.
Their experiences expose the risks behind irregular migration and challenge the simplistic idea that Europe automatically represents an escape from hardship.
In that sense, the novel connects literature with one of the defining social and economic questions confronting contemporary Nigeria: why so many young people believe their future lies elsewhere.
A Warning About Sustainability
ANA’s intervention ensured that the 2025 winner eventually received her ₦1 million. However, the episode also raises broader questions about the sustainability of literary prizes that depend on government funding.
Awards require more than announcements and ceremonies. Their credibility depends on the ability of sponsors and administrators to honour financial commitments when due.
For ANA, paying the prize was therefore both an immediate solution and a statement of institutional responsibility.
The association has urged the Anambra State Government to release the outstanding funds, arguing that consistent support is essential to maintaining the integrity and future of the Chinua Achebe Prize.
For Chiazor-Enenmor, the immediate chapter has ended with the receipt of her award. For Nigerian literature, however, the episode offers a larger lesson: the prestige of a literary prize ultimately depends not only on who wins it, but also on whether the institutions behind it can keep their promises.
