The Influence of European Cultural Diplomacy on Youth Arts Development in Lagos

This paper explores how European cultural diplomacy initiatives, particularly those coordinated through French, German, and British cultural institutes in Lagos, have shaped the development of youth-focused arts and creative industries in South-West Nigeria. Lagos, as Nigeria's commercial and cultural capital, hosts a vibrant arts ecosystem that has increasingly intersected with European cultural programming. Institutes such as the Goethe-Institut and the Institut Francais regularly sponsor workshops, residencies, and exhibitions that target young Nigerian artists aged 18 to 35. This study adopts a qualitative case study approach, drawing on in-depth interviews with young artists who have participated in EU-affiliated programmes between 2020 and 2024, as well as documentary analysis of programme reports and cultural diplomacy policy statements from selected European missions in Lagos. The research questions include: how do young Lagos-based artists perceive European cultural engagement, and to what extent has participation in European-sponsored arts programmes influenced their professional trajectories? The study also critically examines whether European cultural programming in Lagos promotes genuine creative exchange or inadvertently reproduces Eurocentric artistic standards. Findings are expected to contribute to undergraduate discourse on soft power, cultural diplomacy, and the politics of international arts funding in urban Nigerian contexts. Keywords: European cultural diplomacy, youth arts, Lagos, soft power, creative industries.