Nigerian writer wins Caine Prize

Dakar - Nigeria's Rotimi Babatunde has won the prestigious Caine Prize for African Writing for 2012, the prize's management committee announced on Tuesday.

Babatunde, who lives in the Nigerian state of Ibadan, scooped the £10 000 prize for his short story Bombay's Republic, about a Nigerian soldier fighting in Burma during World War II.

He faced competition from shortlisted writers from Kenya, Zimbabwe and South Africa.

The Caine Prize, backed by patrons Wole Soyinka, Nadine Gordimer and JM Coetzee, is awarded annually to an African writer of promise.

Along with South Africa, Nigeria is one of the most prolific producers of literature on the continent.

But, although the country has several reputable publishing houses, most writers aim for publication in Europe or the United States.