Nigerian children’s author, Foluke Falayi, says winning the 2026 Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA) Literary Award has renewed her commitment to expanding children’s access to books.

Ms Falayi also said the award strengthened her resolve to promote a reading culture in the country.

The author made the commitment during an interview on Sunday, while reacting to the award she recently received in Abuja.

 Ms Falayi won the ANA/Ngozi Chuma-Udeh Prize for Children’s Fiction with her book, ‘’Beans for Supper,” at the 45th edition of the literary awards.

 She described the recognition as a major encouragement.

 “I am deeply honoured to have my work recognised by ANA,’’ she said, reflecting her commitment of more than a decade to writing for young readers.

 The awardee said her winning entry competed with two other shortlisted works: “Avarice,” by Amaechi Odimeze and “Friends till Friday,” by Amaka Confidence Obinwogu.

Ms Falayi said a panel of judges comprising professors from different academic disciplines, assessed the entries, stressing that the evaluation process considered the quality of the competing works.

 She said that with over 20 books published, her writing journey had been driven by the desire to connect children with knowledge, everyday experiences and the wider world through storytelling.

The author said that children’s literature played an important role in developing reading habits, stimulating imagination and encouraging young people to engage meaningfully with books.

She expressed concern over the need to sustain children’s interest in reading, stressing the importance of producing engaging literary materials that would appeal to young audiences.

Ms Falayi described the ANA’s Literary Prizes as an important platform for recognising literary contributions and encouraging writers to sustain the development of Nigerian literature.

She stated, “The recognition will further motivate me to remain committed to storytelling and promote reading among children.”

 (NAN)