German-Nigerian Literary Translation as Cultural Diplomacy: A Critical Historical and Contemporary Analysis

This study examines German-Nigerian literary translation as a form of cultural diplomacy, tracing the historical development of translation practices between German and Nigerian literary traditions from the colonial period to the present, and critically analysing the power dynamics, cultural representations, and diplomatic functions embedded in selected translation projects. Literary translation has long been recognised as a tool of soft power and intercultural understanding, and Germany's literary institutions have actively promoted the translation of German literature into African languages and vice versa through organisations including the Goethe-Institut, the German Book Office, and the Frankfurt Book Fair Africa programme. Despite this institutional activity, a systematic critical analysis of German-Nigerian translation as cultural diplomacy has not been conducted. The study draws on archival research in translation histories, critical analysis of a corpus of 30 translated literary works exchanged between German and Nigerian literary traditions since 1960, and interviews with 20 translators, publishers, and cultural programme managers. Findings reveal that translation flows have historically been asymmetric, with German literature translated into Nigerian contexts at a considerably greater rate than Nigerian literature into German. The study develops a critical framework of literary translation as asymmetric cultural diplomacy and recommends structural interventions to achieve greater reciprocity. Keywords: literary translation, cultural diplomacy, German-Nigerian relations, translation studies, postcolonial literature.