What Is The fate Of The Etisalat Prize For Literature? – Nigerian Writers Ask.
As Etisalat Nigeria drops its name to formally assume a new identity as 9mobile following the exit of the Etisalat brand from Nigeria after terminating its management agreement with local partner EMTS, many Nigerian subscribers of the Telco are left wondering what becomes of the services they were used to enjoying from Etisalat. The Nigerian Writers’ community is doubly fazed, almost to the point of agony and the reason is not farfetched; Etisalat Nigeria was active in the Arts space, concretising its patronage with the sponsorship of the first ever pan-African literary prize, the Etisalat Prize for Literature since 2013. The Prize is awarded annually for debut published African writers of fiction books. Etisalat Nigeria also sponsors the annual Etisalat Flash Fiction Award, an online-based short story writing contest open to African writers. Friday – John Abba, a Nigerian writer encapsulated the mood of writers in his despairing facebook post this morning, “Biko,