Abstract

This study examines the potential of a widely shared national language or lingua franca as a tool for conflict resolution and national cohesion in Nigeria. Using qualitative desk research and content analysis, the study reviews Nigeria’s multilingual context, language policy, and selected recent incidents of intergroup violence. The analysis is guided by Social Identity Theory and Linguistic Relativity Theory, which together illuminate the relationship between linguistic identity, intergroup perception, communication and social cohesion. The study argues that a shared language can facilitate dialogue, improve access to peace-building processes, and strengthen a sense of national belonging. However, language alone cannot resolve conflicts whose causes also include political competition, land disputes, insecurity, economic inequality and institutional weaknesses. The study therefore recommends an inclusive multilingual strategy that strengthens widely used lingua franca while protecting indigenous languages. Nigerian Pidgin is presented as a relatively less ethnically identified option for wider national communication, while Hausa is acknowledged as a major regional lingua franca whose adoption as a national language would require careful consultation because of the political sensitivities associated with language choice. The study further highlights education and the media as key mechanisms for promoting inclusive communication and peace-building.

Keywords: conflict resolution, language policy, lingua Franca, national language, Nigeria, social identity

How to cite

Chiekezie, Patricia N (2026). BRIDGING TRIBAL DIVIDES: THE IMPACT OF A NATIONAL LANGUAGE ON CONFLICT RESOLUTION IN NIGERIA. NATELCEP Journal of Languages and Communication Studies (NJLCS), 19(1), 122–134. https://www.natelcep.org/journal/articles/6aac6a898a50ef8c1788c17e