A PRAGMATIC ANALYSIS OF PRESIDENT BOLA AHMED TINUBU 2024 INDEPENDENT SPEECH

ABSTRACT This research looks at the 2024 Independence Day speech of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. The aim is to understand how he used language to pass important messages,guide the public, and build national unity.The study uses a pragmatic approach, which means it looks at how language is used in real situations. It also focuses on linguistic structures such as sentence types, pronouns,and grammar, as well as the social and cultural context of the speech. The study examines different pragmatic strategies used by the president. These include deixis (like "we" and "our"), speech acts (such as advice, promises, and warnings), politeness strategies, and metaphorical language. It also looks at how the president used simple but powerful structures to shape public opinion and give people hope. The speech was delivered during a time of economic hardship, especially after the removal of fuel subsidy. This made it important for the speech to show care, understanding, and a plan for the future.The major themes in the speech include economic reform, national unity, security, hope, youth empowerment, and education. The findings show that President Tinubu used respectful, inclusive, and hopeful language to calm the people, encourage patience, and build trust. His words also helped to bring people together and show that the government has a plan for a better Nigeria. The study recommends that leaders should use simple, clear, and culturally-sensitive language when speaking to citizens, especially during hard times. Future researchers can also compare this speech with other political speeches in Nigeria. Keywords: Pragmatics, Political Speech, Tinubu, Independence Day, Nigeria, Deixis, Speech Acts, Unity, Economy, Language Use, Hope, Linguistic features.