A Gap Analysis of Classical Reception Studies Research in Nigeria: Documenting an Underexplored Field

Classical reception studies, the discipline examining how ancient Greek and Roman texts and cultural forms have been received, adapted, and transformed in later cultures, has generated an extensive international literature that has largely neglected the Nigerian context despite Nigeria's rich history of classical engagement. This study conducts a systematic gap analysis of classical reception studies research involving Nigeria, documenting the extent, character, and limitations of existing scholarship and identifying priority research areas. A systematic review and bibliometric methodology was adopted, searching seven databases (JSTOR, Scopus, MLA International Bibliography, L'Annee Philologique, Google Scholar, EBSCO Humanities, and African Journals Online) for publications addressing classical reception in Nigerian literature, education, law, politics, and cultural practice from 1990 to 2023. Inclusion and exclusion criteria were applied, and identified publications were categorised by topic, methodology, disciplinary affiliation, and institutional origin. Analysis identified 89 publications meeting inclusion criteria, a figure significantly lower than comparable reception studies inventories for South Africa, India, or Ghana. Nigerian literature reception studies (particularly Achebe, Soyinka, and Okigbo) account for 62 percent of identified publications. Educational, legal, and political reception contexts are severely underrepresented. Publications by Nigerian-based authors constitute only 34 percent of the corpus. The study proposes a ten-year Nigerian Classical Reception Studies Research Agenda and recommends establishment of a Nigerian Classical Reception Studies Working Group within the Association of Classical Scholars of Africa.

Keywords: classical reception studies, gap analysis, Nigeria, systematic review, bibliometric analysis