By Olugbenga Oyeniran
As Nigeria marks 65 years since independence, the nation stands at a crossroads. A tapestry of
rich cultures, vibrant languages, and a dynamic people, Nigeria has always been a land of
stories—of oral traditions, songs, folktales, and more recently, a literary legacy that draws the world’s attention. At 65, the opportunity is ripe: for creative writing not just to record the past, but to help shape the future: socially, economically, culturally.
The Literary Legacy: Seeds That Have Grown
Nigeria’s creative writing tradition is storied. From Chinua Achebe’s mythic realism to Wole
Soyinka’s poetic brilliance, from Flora Nwapa’s early feminist voice to Chimamanda Ngozi
Adichie’s global presence, Nigerian writers have long demonstrated the power of story to cross
borders and transform minds.
Festivals like the Aké Arts and Book Festival, first convened in 2013, have become hubs for
literary innovation, bringing together writers, readers, critics, and thinkers to celebrate African
storytelling.
Organisations such as the Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA) continue to nurture writers across the country, through mentorships, workshops, competitions, and helping maintain the infrastructure of literary publishing.
These foundations provide a platform—yet many in creative writing still face obstacles. As
Nigeria enters its 65th year, recognizing those challenges is key to turning potential into opportunity.
Challenges to Overcome
To unlock the full promise of creative writing in Nigeria, several bottlenecks must be addressed:
- Publishing and Distribution Barriers
Many writers struggle to find publishers willing to invest in new voices or to take risks. Even
when books are published, cost, logistics, and weak infrastructure can make distribution across
the country difficult.
- Access to Funding and Mentorship
Emerging writers often lack access to resources: grants, residencies, mentorships. Some
schemes exist, but they can be few, localized, or hard to reach for those outside major cities.
- Language Marginalization and Cultural Bias
English remains dominant in literary markets, but Nigeria is rich in dozens of indigenous
languages. Writers in these languages often find fewer platforms and less visibility. This creates
a tension between reaching international audiences and staying true to local vernaculars.
- Digital Divide and Technology Constraints
Unreliable power supply, intermittent internet access, and lack of infrastructure in many regions limit access to online communities, remote workshops, and digital publishing.
- Financial Insecurity for Writers
Creative writing is often viewed less as a viable profession than as a passion or hobby. Many
writers juggle jobs, freelancing, or other responsibilities, which can leave little time to write, revise, or build a consistent body of work.
Unlocking Opportunities: The Path Forward
Despite challenges, the space for creativity in writing is expanding—and Nigeria @65 provides
unique momentum. Here are key opportunity areas:
- Enabling Infrastructure and Support Systems
Grants, Residencies, and Funding: Increasing the number and accessibility of grants for
unpublished and emerging writers. Supporting residencies in both urban and rural Nigeria.
Partnerships with international cultural institutions, local governments, NGOs to fund these.
Workshops and Training: Scaling quality, affordable creative writing workshops: both in major urban centers like Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt, and in less-served states. Using online
platforms to reach remote areas. Skill-development (story structure, voice, editing) paired with business literacy (contracts, self-publishing, copyright, promotion).
- Expanding Platforms & Redefining Storytelling Multimedia Story Forms: Not all stories need to be novels or poems—audio storytelling, podcasts, radio dramas, digital web-series, graphic novels, even interactive / game-based narratives can reach new audiences.
Indigenous Languages: Encouraging writing, translating, publishing in local languages.
Supporting bilingual or multilingual editions. Recognizing local cultural voices via prizes, awards, and festivals.
Local Stories, Global Themes: Nigerian writers are already doing this—poverty, migration,
climate change, identity, gender, etc. These universal themes, told through local lenses, appeal globally. The diaspora adds further audience layers.
- Leveraging Digital and New Media
Self-Publishing & E-Publishing: Digital tools reduce some barriers. Writers can reach readers
directly via e-books, online magazines, blogs, social media. Monetization remains a challenge,
but models are emerging (subscriptions, crowdfunding, patronage).
Online Communities & Peer Support: Virtual writing groups, critique circles, forum
exchanges. Young writers can benefit hugely from feedback, visibility, collaboration.
Digital Literacy & Access: Ensuring that writers have the tools—internet access, reliable
power, devices. Possibly creative “writing hubs” or shared spaces in towns and states with
weaker infrastructure.
- Institutional and Policy Support
Literary Policy: Government cultural ministries, states, and local governments could provide
policy frameworks: funding for culture, subsidies for book publishing, tax incentives for cultural
enterprises, copyright enforcement.
Educational Integration: Embedding creative writing more fully into school curricula—not just
as ancillary, but as valued capacity: writing workshops in schools, creative writing in tertiary
institutions beyond journalism or English departments.
Public Libraries & Reading Culture: Strengthening libraries, reading programmes, mobile libraries. The more people read, the greater the audience and the better the appreciation for storytelling.
The Social & Economic Ripple Effects
Why does this matter beyond “art for art’s sake”?
Cultural Identity & Cohesion: By valuing and promoting stories from all corners and languages of Nigeria, creative writing helps bind citizens in mutual understanding, preserving heritage, enabling cross-cultural empathy.
Economic Potential: Creative writing can feed into creative industries — publishing, film,
television, podcasts, stage. These generate jobs: editors, translators, designers, narrators,
audio technicians, marketers.
Soft Power & International Image: Nigerian literature has already boosted Nigeria’s image
globally. More strong writers will amplify this, influencing perceptions, opening cultural
diplomacy, collaborative opportunities.
Mental Health & Social Reflection: Stories help a society process pain, celebrate triumphs, critiques injustice. They can be therapeutic, a catalyst for dialogue.
A Vision Ahead: Nigeria @ 75 and Beyond
As Nigeria celebrates 65, there is a chance to set in motion legacies that will bear fruit in the
decades ahead. Imagine:
A future where children from remote communities publish in indigenous languages, yet see their work celebrated globally.
A digital archive of Nigerian stories from all 36 states + FCT, preserved for future generations.
Literary hubs in each geopolitical zone, hosting festivals, workshops, readings, providing
platforms for cross-border exchange with Africa and the world. Writers as recognized professionals, with stable incomes, rights and institutional support.
Conclusion
Nigeria @65 is more than a milestone: it is a pivot point. The stories we tell—and how we
support storytellers—are not secondary to national development; they are central. Creative
writing is not just ink on paper, but echo of hope, mirror of society, an engine for growth. If the
government, private sector, cultural institutions, and communities seize this moment, then the
next decades can see Nigeria not just as a place with great stories—but as a place where
stories change things.
Olugbenga Oyeniran
I’m a creative storyteller with a passion for turning ideas into powerful narratives—whether through words or visuals. As a writer, I craft engaging content that connects with audiences, bringing clarity, emotion, and impact to every piece. Alongside my writing, I specialize in mobile video editing, transforming raw footage into polished stories that are ready to inspire and entertain on the go. With a blend of creativity, adaptability, and technical skill, I thrive at shaping stories that resonate in today’s fast-paced digital world.
