Peer-Reviewed Academic Journal
Lapai Journal of English Studies
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A Semiotic Exploration of Traditional Social Symbols of Communication among the Nupe People of Niger State, Nigeria

Authors: ✍️ Mohammed Alhaji Usman ✍️ Ebenezer Oluseun Ogungbe ✍️ Aliyu Ibrahim Dantata

Abstract

Communication with Nupe social symbols is a sophisticated system that involves the use of objects, gestures, artefacts, and sounds to convey meaning, maintain social hierarchy, and preserve secret information. Nevertheless, it is fast dying out among the people and research efforts have not been focused on examining the cultural symbolic codes used for communication by the Nupe people of Nigeria. Hence, this paper attempts a semiotic exploration of traditional social symbols of communication among the Nupe people of Niger State, Nigeria. Primary data for this study were collected from various Nupe communities in Niger State, including Bida, Lemu, Katcha, Mokwa, Agaie, and Lapai. The analysis of the various cultural semiotic resources and interviews conducted was done with Eco’s Theory of Sign Production and Mead’s Symbolic Interaction Theory. The study found that the Nupe people have several traditional social symbols of communication which are vital tools for preserving their heritage, moral values, identity, and maintaining social order within Nupe land (KinNupe). This paper underscores the cultural potential and relevance of Nupe social symbols of communication and recommends that Nupe parents who are skillful in encoding and decoding traditional communication symbols should teach their children, as a way of keeping this part of Nupe culture alive.

Keywords

#Nupe non-verbal communication #symbolic objects #etiquette and respect postures #warning signs
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Publication Date December 31, 2025
Digital Object Identifier (DOI) Not assigned
Journal Volume & Issue 2025