There is no doubt that Nigeria has developed an international reputation in the areas of oil and finance. The country's lifestyle is also well-known beyond its borders, mainly in sub-Saharan Africa and among its global diaspora, thanks to the low-budget “Nollywood” video productions. However, its cultural scene remains largely cut off from international discourse. Despite a large number of highquality cultural festivals, the lack of stately artistic and educational infrastructure means that there is no institutionalized exchange with foreign countries.

This is where the work of the Goethe-Institut Nigeria is important. Founded in Lagos shortly after Nigerian independence, the Institute has also been operating an office in Kano in the north of the country since last year. It sees its role in mediating between the Nigerian cultural scene and current trends in Germany, Europe
and sub-Saharan Africa.

Continuous support for the culturally-active civil society over recent decades has allowed the Goethe-Institut Nigeria to develop into a well-known and respected forum in Nigeria. It works together closely with its Nigerian and German partners and other European cultural institutes in the country, which is important and indispensable given the increasing level of globalisation. For this reason, the Goethe-Institut Nigeria will in future not only continue to support cultural exchange between our host country and Germany but will also work with the many other German Cultural Centres in Africa to make an important contribution to the development of a network of African cultural producers. In this way we will actively support dialogue not just between north and south but also within Africa.