MANAGEMENT OF THE DISSEMINATION OF INFORMATION AND THEIR PRAGMATIC IMPLICATIONS DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC

Abstract

The ability to manage the dissemination of apt information devoid of all forms of ambiguity, misinterpretation and vagueness is one of the first steps to overcome the Covid-19 pandemic. Information is power and this is majorly made possible through the use of language. As such, what goes into circulation ought to be properly situated to eliminate all forms of social unrest and this deals largely with the choice of appropriate pragmatic devices employed while passing information about the virus and their socio-economic, political as well as religious implications. Using Mey’s (2001) pragmatic act theory as the theoretical framework and President Muhammadu Buhari’s March 29 th , 2020 address on Covid-19 pandemic as primary data, this study attempts a pragmatic evaluation of the ways language has been deployed by African leaders to enlighten, educate and instruct the people on the spread of the Covid-19 disease. It also highlights how the mismanagement of information necessitated by the wrong choice of expressions has hindered absolute cooperation, loss of trust for the government of the day and breakdown of laws and order during the Covid-19 pandemic.