ROLE OF FULFULDE PROVERBS IN PEACE AND NATIONAL INTEGRATION

A PRAGMATIC APPROACH

Abstract

Disputes do occur as long as people of diverse races, nations, cultures, tribes, clans and families co-exist. To manage this human phenomenon, the leaders of communities devise ways and means of realizing peaceful integration. Linguists are of the view that language, and precisely proverbs, play a significant role and are seen as important tools needed to achieve sustainable peace. Therefore, this paper aims to study the roles of Fulfulde proverbs in achieving peace and national integration. The study also attempts to highlight the hidden concept of peace embedded in the proverbs by adopting the pragmatic approach as its theoretical framework. A purposive sampling method of data collection and a descriptive textual analysis were adopted for data analysis. The study established that Fulfulde's proverbs play a significant role in conveying timeless wisdom by promoting peace and national integration, encouraging tolerance and understanding, fostering a sense of community and promoting social cohesion. The study concludes that language is at the forefront of sustaining peace and national integration.