It was a celebration of creativity and intellect on Saturday, November 1, 2025, as the T.Y. Buratai Literary Initiative (TYBLI) hosted the Award Ceremony of the 2nd Young Adult Literature Prize (YALP) at the Tukur Buratai Research Center. The event also featured the public presentation of “Truth & Dare”, an anthology of winning entries from the 2024 edition of YALP.
The initiator and grand patron of TYBLI, Lt. Gen. Tukur Yusufu Buratai (rtd), CFR, in his keynote speech titled “Securing the Nation’s Mind: Literature, Leadership, and the Promise of Our Youth,” said the vision behind the initiative was to nurture young Nigerian voices and empower them to tell their own stories. He emphasised that literature remains a powerful tool for personal growth and national development.
“When we conceived TYBLI, our vision was simple yet profound — to create a platform that would nurture young Nigerian voices, give them confidence to tell their own stories, and use literature as a tool for personal growth and national development,” Buratai said.
“Just as I have dedicated much of my career to securing the territorial integrity of our nation, I consider it equally important to secure the intellectual and moral integrity of our young minds,” he added.
He congratulated the three finalists: Sarah Yousouph, Adoo Guyuur, and Chinyenike Lawrence Emenagu, describing them as symbols of a new generation of Nigerian writers. He also paid tribute to the late author Mohammed Sule, who was posthumously honoured for his contributions to young adult literature.
In his remarks as Special Guest of Honour and Chairman of the occasion, former Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. O.A. Ihejirika (rtd), CFR, praised Buratai’s leadership and foresight in sustaining the TYBLI project. He recalled his time working with Buratai in the Nigerian Army, describing him as a disciplined and competent officer whose leadership qualities continue to reflect in his current efforts to promote education and youth development.
“What Buratai is doing today through TYBLI and the Young Adult Literature Prize is a continuation of that legacy — a demonstration that true leadership does not retire, it only evolves,” Ihejirika stated. “He has moved from securing Nigeria’s borders to securing the nation’s mind, and that, to me, is leadership in its purest form.”
Ihejirika also commended the 2025 grand prize winner, Adoo Guyuur, and other finalists for their creativity and courage, urging them to keep using their pens to inspire and transform society. He called on government, private sector, and civil society stakeholders to support initiatives that promote youth empowerment and literary development in Nigeria.
The highlight of the ceremony was the presentation of the Young Adult Literature Prize 2025 to Adoo Guyuur, who emerged as the grand prize winner. In her brief remark, Guyuur expressed profound gratitude to the T.Y. Buratai Literary Initiative for providing a platform that recognises and encourages young writers to reach for excellence.
The event also featured special recognition awards presented by Buratai to two journalists — Mr. Simon Kolawole, Publisher of Cable Media and Publishing Limited, and Mr. Femi Oyewole, Publisher of Sahara Weekly and Sahara TV, for their outstanding contributions to national development through journalism.
With inspiring speeches, tributes, and recognition of literary talent, the 2025 YALP ceremony reaffirmed TYBLI’s commitment to using literature as a catalyst for enlightenment, peace, and nation-building.
