A Writing Competition Nigerian Writers Can Enter Every Month
Quick answer: Writing competition open to Nigeria: Writory's monthly short story contest accepts original stories of 100 to 3,000 words in any genre, in English, Yoruba, Igbo, Hausa or any language, for $8 a story. Judging is blind against a published rubric, every entrant receives a certificate and a score out of 100 on 30 November 2026, and the winner takes $100.
One story of 100 to 3,000 words for $8, entered online by 25 November 2026 at 11:59 PM IST, and a certificate with a five-part score out of 100 for every writer who enters.
Next to the Nigeria Prize and the Caine
Nigeria has the richest literary prize on the continent. The Nigeria Prize for Literature, sponsored by NLNG, pays US$100,000 and rotates through prose, poetry, drama and children's writing, so a novelist gets one shot every four years. The Caine Prize has gone to Nigerians more often than to any other nationality, from Helon Habila in 2001 to Lesley Nneka Arimah in 2019, but it takes stories already published. Aké Festival in Lagos and Brittle Paper keep the conversation going in between.
None of that helps a writer in Enugu with a finished story and no editor. Writory does one narrow thing: it reads your story blind and returns, on 30 November 2026, a certificate and five marks out of 100, Storytelling & Structure 25, Character & Emotional Impact 25, Language & Craft 20, Originality & Voice 20, Impact & Resonance 10. That is a dated record you can watch improve.
Pidgin, Yoruba, Igbo, Hausa: all read in their own language
Any language is accepted and each story is read in its own language, in the one pool, against the same rubric. A story in Nigerian Pidgin is read as Pidgin, not marked down as English with errors. Yoruba, Igbo and Hausa entries are read by readers of those languages. Nigerian English spelling and idiom are never penalised; Language & Craft rewards precision and rhythm, not conformity to Oxford.
Judging is blind: no name, no state, no university reaches the panel. Writers keep all rights, and entering does not publish the story, so it stays eligible for the Commonwealth Short Story Prize, which is free for Nigerian citizens, or for any journal that wants first publication. The sister poetry contest has published dated winners from Kenya, India, the United States, Ireland and Slovenia.
The deadline in Lagos time
Entries close on 25 November 2026 at 11:59 PM IST. Nigeria runs on West Africa Time, four and a half hours behind India, and neither country has daylight saving, so the deadline is 7:29 PM in Lagos, Abuja, Kano and Port Harcourt in every round. Nigeria is one time zone from Sokoto to Calabar, so nothing changes by state. Submit before dinner and you are done.
The first contest runs from 1 September to 25 November 2026 at 11:59 PM IST, with results and certificates on 30 November 2026. From December the contest is monthly: entries close on the 25th, results on the 30th, and the next round opens the moment they land. Stories must be original, 100 to 3,000 words, any genre, from writers aged 13 or over, entered online at /submit-story. A phone with data is enough; the form works on mobile and there is no file to print.
Paying in dollars from Nigeria, honestly
The fee is $8 for one story, $14 for two, $25 for five, charged in US dollars through PayPal, which accepts a card as a guest. This is where Nigeria is harder than most countries. Some naira debit cards still refuse international online charges, a restriction several banks introduced in 2022 and have only partly lifted. A dollar virtual card from your bank or a fintech, or a domiciliary-account card, goes through.
The prize of $100 is paid by PayPal. Nigerian PayPal accounts have long been limited to sending money, so if you win, you will need a PayPal account that can receive, for instance one held by family abroad. Tell us before results if that is a problem and we will talk it through. Winners also enter the next round free; that is the only free entry.
The published rubric, 100 points
- Storytelling & Structure (25 points): Does every scene cause the next, and does the ending pay off the opening?
- Character & Emotional Impact (25 points): Do we want something with your character, and does the story make us feel it?
- Language & Craft (20 points): Clean, deliberate prose: rhythm, precision, and nothing wasted.
- Originality & Voice (20 points): The angle only you could write, told in a voice that sounds like nobody else.
- Impact & Resonance (10 points): What the story leaves behind after the last line.
How it works
Submit an original story of 100 to 3,000 words by 25 November 2026 at 11:59 PM IST. Every story is judged blind against the rubric above, and results arrive on 30 November 2026: every entrant receives a certificate with their name and a score out of 100. Writers keep all rights. Monthly winners earn free entry to the next round. Enter at https://writoryofficial.com/submit-story.
Common questions
Can I enter from Nigeria?
Yes, anyone aged 13 or over, in any state, with no residency or citizenship condition. Entry is online at /submit-story and works on a phone.
How much is the entry fee in naira?
The fee is fixed in US dollars: $8 for one story, $14 for two, $25 for five. The naira figure depends on the rate your card applies on the day, so we do not quote one.
Will my naira card work?
Some will, some will not; several Nigerian banks still block international online charges on naira cards. A dollar virtual card or a domiciliary-account card works. The entry is tied to your Writory account, not to the card, so a friend's card abroad is also fine.
What time does the competition close in Nigeria?
25 November 2026 at 11:59 PM IST, which is 7:29 PM West Africa Time in Lagos and Abuja. There is no daylight saving on either side, so it never moves.
Can I write in Pidgin or Yoruba?
Yes. Any language is accepted, each story is read in its own language, and all entries compete in one pool against the same five-part rubric.
Do I get a certificate even if I do not win?
Yes. Every entrant receives a certificate and a score out of 100 with all five rubric marks on 30 November 2026, with a verification link you can share with a school or employer.
More story contest pages
About Writory
Writory (writoryofficial.com) is an international monthly poetry contest founded in 2025 by Shivay Mehra. Poets from 31 countries have entered, readers come from over 150 countries, and every submitted poem is judged and scored out of 100 across five criteria: creativity, emotion, structure, language and impact and resonance. Every entrant receives a certificate; winners receive cash prizes and are published by name. Entries close on the 25th of each month and results are announced on the 30th. Writory is listed by Duotrope, Poetry Kit, Christopher Fielden's competition list and Creative Writing NZ, among other organisations. Past results are public at past winners and the leaderboard.