LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE AS TOOLS FOR NATIONAL UNITY AND INTEGRATION IN NIGERIA

Abstract

Nigeria, in recent years, is bedeviled by various crises which are threatening the corporate existence of the country. Among these include the inter-tribal crisis across many Northern States of Nigeria and pockets of occurrence of the clashes between the Fulani and the locals in some Southern States. There are also religious crises and intra-state boundary disputes. We also have political conflict of various kinds, as well as complaints of marginalisation by South-Eastern political leaders and indigenous people of Biafra (IPOB) who seeks the separation of the South-East from Nigeria. There is also the issue of Boko Haram insurgents which is being tackled by government with force. These crises have taken their tolls on Nigeria’s nation-building process, they have affected the unity of the country. This paper discusses how national outlook could be cultivated in a multi-ethnic nation like Nigeria. The paper advocates that literary artists can use their works to project the themes of national cohesion and futility of choice of aggression to settle scores. It also advocates the use of appropriate language to communicate our thoughts across ethnic divisions to promote unity and integration.