BANKOLE WRIGHT – Judge/Evaluator
Researcher, Writer, Editor, and Humanitarian Activist, Bankole has written short stories, poems and essays; some of which won him participation in several writing workshops like the Ake Fiction Writing Workshop and Quramo Writing Workshop. As a writer he is concerned with capturing African sensibilities, especially the psychological impacts of events on characters. He is the Creative Director of Pensworth EdiWrit, a ghost-writing and editing outlet. He obtained a BA in Literature-in-English from Lagos State University and MA in Literature from the University of Lagos respectively. He is currently running a PhD in African Diaspora Studies.
OLUKAYODE K. SAMUEL – Judge/Evaluator
Researcher and theatre director, Olukayode is currently running a doctoral programme at the University of Lagos. His research interests are Dramatic literature and criticism, cultural studies, Sociology of literature and Film studies. His thesis explores how human personality (characterization) as a social factor can be used in understanding Suicidal thought, behaviour, and attempts in the society. on aspect on his research interest. He has attended conferences both locally and internationally, where he presented papers and plays.
SEGUN AL-MAROOF – Judge/Evaluator
He started his teaching career as a part-time teacher in 1997 with Executive Care and Learning Centre, Lagos while almost at the end of his programme at Yabatech. He had taught Visual Arts on part-time basis in about 10 schools before he became a full-time tutor in schools like Mictech, Greensprings, Caleb, Supreme Edu-cation Foundation and presently at Oxbridge Tutorial College for ‘A level’ courses. Once a vice principal and a principal in one of his schools, he holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Education from University of Nigeria, UNN and a Master’s degree also in Education from UNILAG. He is proficient in children’s show such as mascots, puppetry and compering. He has won a few awards such as “The Most Dedicated Teaching Staff; the Most Punctual Staff; ‘Art Teacher of the Year; the Neatest Male Staff; etc. He served as a contract examiner with Lagos State University, LASU and a book reviewer with Lagos State.
YAYRA TAMAKLOE – Judge/Evaluator (Junior)
Ghana-born America-inhabiting Yayra is founder of The P.A.L Project; a storyteller whose work advocates the importance of culture while bringing attention to social and gender issues both in artistic and academic environments. She holds BFA (Cum Laude) from the College of Arts, Kent State University with multiple directing, performance, leadership and scholarly experiences including being Student Government Senator for the College of the Arts, president of the African Students Association as well as a McNair Scholars Alum.
JAMES JARAFU JAWUR – Script Evaluator
A graduate of English at the University of Maiduguri, currently pursuing his Master’s degree, James is a Graduate Assistant with the Department of English and Literary Studies in the same University.
AHMADU MOHAMMED DAUDA – Script Evaluator
A doctoral candidate University of Maiduguri, Ahmadu is an Assistant Lecturer with the Department of English and Literary Studies in the same University, where he earlier graduated in English Language.