End Bad Governance Protests Utterances in Nigeria-A Pragmatic Act Analysis

Abstract

This study examined language as social action in the 2024 End Bad Governance protests in Nigeria using Pragmatic Acts Theory (Mey, 2001). Adopting a qualitative approach, twenty purposively selected utterances from protest speeches on YouTube and Instagram were analysed. The study identified key pragmatic acts such as complaining, lamenting, requesting, appealing, warning, and asserting rights. These acts were realised through various practs, including experiential, emotive, directive, rhetorical, and moral-legitimising practs. The findings reveal that protest language is strategically used to express grievances, mobilise support, legitimise demands, and negotiate power within a socio-political context. The study concludes that language functions as a powerful tool for resistance and social change, and it contributes to pragmatic scholarship by demonstrating the relevance of Pragmatic Acts Theory in analysing protest discourse in Nigeria.