TY Buratai Literary Initiative (TYBLI) is back with another long-list of potential winners of its coveted prize.
It had gone behind the scenes, making preparations for the big event. Having crossed the first rubicon, it is now time to formally issue a long-list of first six successful contenders for TYBLI’s literary prize, selected from 106 entries that were received for the 2025 Young Adult Literature (YAL) writing competition. Consequently, another shortlist of three winners will be announced before the Grand Prize and Awards ceremony on 1 November.
What is TYBLI?
It is a non‐profit project with the mission of promoting literacy, fostering a culture of reading, and supporting young writers, particularly in the genre of YAL. TYBLI is an educational outreach and community give-back service initiated and sponsored by former Chief of Army Staff, Lt. General Tukur Yusufu Buratai (rtd.).
One of the key activities of the initiative is the Book Placement programme whereby mini-libraries are created in the form of “book boxes”. Beneficiaries of this initiative are normally underserved schools, aimed at improving their access to age-appropriate leisure reading materials. In 2024, TYBLI placed book boxes in three schools across Nasarawa State and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
However, the most prominent activity under the TYBLI is the Young Adult Literature Prize (YALP); a story writing competition to discover and reward emerging writers in the young adult genre. In its maiden awards in 2024, the initiative celebrated young writers with Taofeek Olatunbosun bagging the grand prize of one million Naira. Other zonal winners received N250 each.
The regional winners in 2024 were Sima Essien from South South with his winning story, Dream Walker; Micheal Ighonekwu’s Mysteries of the Haunted House won from the South East; North West’s Bilqisu Abubakar’s The Last Sacrifice; South West’s Olatunbosun Taofeek’s Truth and Dare; North Central’s Hajarah Bashar’s Portraiture of a Dreamer; and Yohanna Daniel’s The Northern Boy from the North East. Three of those made it to the final — Taofeek’s Truth and Dare; Bashar’s Portraiture of a Dreamer; and Daniel’s The Northern Boy. Taofeek’s Truth and Dare emerged as the winning story.
In addition to the cash prizes, an anthology comprising the best 10 entries from the 2024 YALP competition is another bonus underway for the contestants. Copies of the anthology will be distributed to secondary and tertiary institutions nationwide, thereby immortalizing literary works of the writers.
The good news for 2025 YALP is that the prize awards are moving higher. The Chairperson, Dr Lizi Ben-Iheanacho announced the increase during the roll out of TYBLI’s 2025 programme earlier this year. The grand prize will be raised to N1.5 million, while six zonal winners will receive N500,000 each. In line also, the initiative expanded its book placement reach in 2025 by donating mobile libraries containing at least 40 assorted books to Girau International School, Kaduna, as part of its school outreach. Other beneficiaries were LGEA Unguwar Sarki School, Kaduna; School of the Gifted, Gwagwalada in the FCT; Air Force Girls Comprehensive School, Abuja and Nasarawa State University Uke, Keffi, Kebbi State.
It is thus that after the initiative’s 2025 panel of judges careful evaluated the 106 entries, the TYBLI is happy to announce its long-list of six zonal winners and their works.
In the TYBLI’s timeline is the announcement of the top three finalists later in October, while the grand prize winner will be announced during the TYBLI Awards Ceremony on 1 November 2025.
TYBLI looks forward to onboarding sponsors, media partners, literary blogs, educational institutions, and the reading public to help amplify its mission for talented young writers.
Congratulations to the 2025 zonal winners:
1. Adoo Gyuur: Daughters of Ashes — North Central
2. Daniel Yohanna: A Boy from Far North — North East
3. E. R. Umukoro: The Distortion of Hardassah — South South
4. Ikemefuna Chinenyike Lawrence Ezemagu: Garden of Garget — South East
5. Sarah Yousuph: When the Road Curves — South West
6. Yusrah Bashir Gaga: My Darkest Nightmares – North West
Ben-Iheanacho expressed appreciation to all 106 entrants, while calling on them not to give up. She described their contributions as valuable noting that, even if a work is not shortlisted, TYBLI encourages the young adults to continue writing.
