Mentorship, Curriculum Development, and the Teaching of Creative Writing in Nigerian Tertiary Institutions

This study evaluates the state of creative writing instruction in Nigerian tertiary institutions, examining curriculum design, pedagogical approaches, mentorship practices, and the professional development needs of creative writing teachers in a field that is expanding in institutional recognition but remains unevenly developed across the country. Creative writing has gained formal academic recognition in a growing number of Nigerian universities and polytechnics, yet there is no national curriculum framework, significant variability in programme quality, and very limited exchange of best practices among creative writing instructors. The study conducts a nationwide survey of 45 creative writing lecturers across 15 higher education institutions in Lagos, Abuja, Enugu, Kano, Jos, and Port Harcourt, supplemented by in-depth interviews with 15 creative writing programme coordinators. Data examine curriculum content, teaching methods, assessment strategies, mentorship models, and institutional support for student publishing and creative development. Findings reveal that the most successful creative writing programmes combine workshop-based collaborative critique, regular engagement with visiting professional writers, and structured exposure to diverse literary traditions including oral and vernacular forms alongside international canons. Programmes that focus exclusively on formal academic analysis rather than active writing practice produce students with stronger critical but weaker creative competencies. Recommendations include the development of a national creative writing pedagogy framework through the Committee of Vice-Chancellors and enhanced postgraduate training pathways for aspiring creative writing teachers. Keywords: creative writing pedagogy, curriculum development, mentorship, Nigerian universities, tertiary education.