Okey Wali

Okey Wali is a Nigerian academic, literary critic, and scholar, best known for his 1963 essay "The Dead End of African Literature?" published in the journal Transition. This essay sparked considerable debate among African writers and intellectuals concerning the language in which African literature should be written.

Wali argued that African literature written in European languages (such as English, French, or Portuguese) was essentially detached from the masses of African people, who did not have access to these languages. He contended that genuine African literature could only be produced in indigenous African languages.

His position was highly controversial, challenging the works of established African authors who wrote in European languages, including Chinua Achebe, Wole Soyinka, and Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o. While these authors acknowledged the importance of indigenous languages, they also defended their choice of European languages as a way to reach a wider audience, both within Africa and internationally.

Wali's essay is a significant contribution to postcolonial literary theory and continues to be discussed in debates about language, identity, and cultural expression in African literature. His work highlighted the complex relationship between language, power, and cultural authenticity in a postcolonial context. He is also known for his work on African philosophy and education.