German Literature and Postcolonial Identity: Student Interpretations at Bayero University Kano

This study examines how undergraduate students at Bayero University Kano, in Kano State within the North West geopolitical zone of Nigeria, interpret selected German literary texts through postcolonial and decolonial theoretical lenses. The inclusion of German literature in Nigerian university curricula raises important questions about cultural authority, canonical representation, and the politics of reading foreign texts in postcolonial contexts. Drawing on close reading methodologies and reception theory, the study analyses written response essays and focus group discussions conducted with 40 third-year German language students who were assigned texts by canonical German authors alongside contemporary works by German authors of African descent. Findings reveal a rich diversity of interpretive strategies, with many students drawing explicitly on their Nigerian cultural identities to challenge or reframe textual meanings. Students demonstrated particular sensitivity to representations of Africa and Africans in older German literary texts, often producing counter-readings that foregrounded colonial legacies. The study argues that Nigerian students bring distinct and intellectually valuable perspectives to German literary education and that these perspectives should be formally incorporated into German literature pedagogy. Recommendations include diversifying German literary syllabi to include diaspora and postcolonial voices. Keywords: German literature, postcolonial identity, Bayero University Kano, literary interpretation, decolonial reading.