Gone are the days of ‘Kola(Nut)’: New trends in language habits and coding of corrupt practices in Nigeria

Abstract

Nigeria’s profile on corruption among other countries around the world is most alarming. Either reasonably expressed or exaggeratedly painted, Nigeria is one country where corruption has taken roots and has badly affected the cause of national development. This article examines language habits such as metaphoric  expressions, performative utterances and slang terms (sometimes accompanied with facial and bodily gestures) which are associated with aspects of corrupt practices in Nigeria. Data for the study were sourced through participant observation and informal interactions with different categories of people to elicit  information on the context and actual meanings of the codes. The data were classified into different contexts in line with the pragmatic strategies used by actors for communicative effectiveness. The study underlines the fact that corrupt practices in themselves do not exist in a vacuum; they actually thrive on certain verbal and at times accompanying non-verbal cues. Considering the power of language in human affairs, the article  advocates that the language of expressing corrupt practices should be properly investigated by relevant anti-graft agencies in the country through commissioned empirically based studies on the subject with a view to investigating how language aids corruption in the system. In this regard, such bodies would be able to track the nuances with which corrupt practices are coded so as to boost the anti-graft crusade in the country.

Keywords: corruption, language, meaning, Nigeria, performative utterances,