TEACHING OF NON LITERARY TRANSLATION IN NIGERIA: A REAPPRAISAL

Abstract

This  paper  delves  into  a  reappraisal  of  the  curriculum  for  the  teaching  of  translation  in Nigeria with the aim of contributing towards the making of a more comprehensive and viable curriculum  that  responds  to  the  need  of  the  present  day  non-literary  translator.  Nigerian universities  have  over  the  years  been  producing  academic  translators  and  awarding  them degrees  even  as  high  as  the  doctorate  degree.  During  the  course  of  training,  no  Nigerian University distinguishes from the training of a non-literary l and a literary translator, though their curricular have a bias for literary translation. Consequently many of  their products end up  as  literary  translators.  The  few  courageous  ones  who  delve  into  non-literary  translation only  do  a  shoddy  job  of  it.  To  expose  this  lopsided  curricular  a  reappraisal  of  the  MA  and PHD  translation  curricula  of  three  National  University  Commission  accredited  Nigerian Federal  institutions,  selected  from three  geopolitical  zones  of  the  country  were  done.  This research  revealed  that  the  major  problem  was  that  of the  lopsided  programmes  run  by the universities.  Suggestions  on  how  to  improve  the  training  of  the  non-literary  translator  were also proffered.