Terms and Conditions

Last updated: January 2026

1. Introduction

Welcome to the Pius Oleghe Poetry Prize ("POPALS"). These Terms and Conditions govern your use of our website and participation in our poetry competitions. By accessing our website or submitting an entry, you agree to be bound by these terms.

Please read these terms carefully before using our services or submitting your work.

2. Competition Eligibility

To be eligible to participate in the POPALS poetry competition, you must:

  • Be of African descent or currently residing in Africa
  • Meet the age requirements for your chosen category:
    • Junior Category: 12–17 years old
    • Adult Category: 18–35 years old
  • Provide accurate personal information and valid identity verification
  • Submit original, unpublished work

3. Submission Requirements

All submissions must comply with the following requirements:

  • Poems must be original works created by the submitting author
  • Poems must not have been previously published in any format (print, online, or otherwise)
  • Each poem should be 40–60 lines or fewer
  • Submissions must be in English or include an English translation
  • Entries must be submitted in PDF format
  • Each participant may submit up to 3 poems per entry

4. Publication Rights & Consent

4.1 Grant of Rights

By submitting your poem(s) to the POPALS competition, you grant the organizers of the POPALS anthology a non-exclusive, worldwide license to publish, distribute, and display your submitted poem(s) in the forthcoming POPALS anthology in both print and digital formats.

4.2 Copyright Retention

You retain the full copyright to your work. The license granted to POPALS is non-exclusive, meaning you remain free to:

  • Publish your work elsewhere
  • Submit your work to other competitions
  • Use your work in any way you see fit

4.3 Compensation

You acknowledge that you will not receive monetary compensation for the publication rights granted herein, apart from any prize money awarded to competition winners as specified in the competition rules.

5. Originality & Plagiarism

By submitting your work, you warrant that:

  • The submitted work is entirely your own original creation
  • The work does not infringe upon the copyright or intellectual property rights of any third party
  • The work has not been generated by artificial intelligence or automated tools

POPALS reserves the right to disqualify any submission found to contain plagiarized content or AI-generated material. Submissions may be subject to plagiarism and AI detection screening.

6. Judging & Decisions

All submissions will be evaluated by a panel of judges selected by POPALS. The judges' decisions are final and binding. No correspondence will be entered into regarding judging decisions.

POPALS reserves the right to withhold prizes if, in the judges' opinion, no submission meets the required standard of excellence.

7. Prizes

Prize details are announced for each competition cycle. Winners will be notified via the email address provided during submission. Prizes are non-transferable and cannot be exchanged for cash alternatives unless otherwise specified.

Winners may be required to participate in publicity activities related to the competition.

8. Disqualification

POPALS reserves the right to disqualify any entry that:

  • Contains false or misleading information
  • Violates these Terms and Conditions
  • Contains plagiarized or AI-generated content
  • Contains offensive, defamatory, or inappropriate material
  • Fails to meet eligibility requirements

9. Limitation of Liability

POPALS shall not be liable for any loss, damage, or injury arising from participation in the competition, except where such liability cannot be excluded by law. This includes, but is not limited to, technical failures, lost submissions, or delays in communication.

10. Privacy

Your personal information will be handled in accordance with our Privacy Policy. By participating in the competition, you consent to the collection and use of your information as described therein.

11. Changes to Terms

POPALS reserves the right to modify these Terms and Conditions at any time. Changes will be posted on this page with an updated revision date. Your continued participation in the competition after any changes constitutes acceptance of the modified terms.

12. Governing Law

These Terms and Conditions shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Any disputes arising from these terms shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of Nigeria.

13. Contact Us

If you have any questions about these Terms and Conditions, please contact us at:

Email: info@popals.org

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