Exploring the Relationship Between French Literature and Intercultural Competence Development Among Students at Obafemi Awolowo University

French literary texts provide rich exposure to cultural norms, historical contexts, and social perspectives of francophone societies, making them potentially valuable pedagogical tools for intercultural competence development. Yet the specific relationship between French literary study and measurable intercultural competence outcomes among Nigerian university students has not been empirically investigated. This study explores the relationship between engagement with French literature and intercultural competence levels among undergraduate French students at Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife. A mixed methods design was adopted, with the Intercultural Development Inventory administered to 160 second and final year French students supplemented by semi-structured interviews with twenty-four participants. Literary engagement was operationalised through a validated reading frequency and depth-of-engagement scale. Quantitative analysis using Pearson correlation and independent samples t-tests examined relationships between literary engagement and intercultural competence scores. Results indicate a moderate positive relationship between depth of literary engagement and intercultural sensitivity, though the correlation was stronger for texts from francophone African authors than for those by metropolitan French writers. Students who completed courses featuring francophone African and Caribbean literature demonstrated significantly higher intercultural competence scores than those who had studied only European French literature. The study recommends diversification of French literature curricula to include a systematic francophone African component as a mechanism for intercultural competence enhancement relevant to Nigerian students. Keywords: French literature, intercultural competence, Obafemi Awolowo University, francophone Africa, literary pedagogy