Yorùbá Proverbs in Media Intervention: The Case of Radio Nigeria Harmony F.M.'s Òkodoro ọ̀rọ̀
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Date
2012
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the Department of Performing Arts, University of Ilorin, Ilorin, Nigeria
Abstract
Proverbs are the moral science and conscience of the Yorùbá nation. Many of these proverbs contain traditional observations on the nature of things and some are moral boasters among other functions. As important as proverbs are in many societies, little attention is being given to this by majority of Yorùbá people particularly the educated. The result of this is the moral decadence among many youth today. One of the factors that are responsible for this situation is modernisation that has made these people to prefer foreign languages especially English to the indigenous languages. This study therefore appraises the electronic media's interventions in redressing the situation. The innovative use of proverbs on Yorùbá press reports in a radio station in Ilorin, Kwara State, is the focus of this paper. The programme titled Òkodoro-ọ̀rọ̀ literally meaning "the reality pf the words", has served as means of sensitising and re-awakening listener's interest in Yorùbá proverbs in addition to the news being provided. Thirteen randomly selected episodes of the programmes were recorded off air over a period of two weeks. Twenty five proverbs were used as copus in this paper. The findings revealed that through the programmes, the listener's awareness of Yorùbá proverbs is re-awakened while his or her lexicon is positively imparted and developed. In addition, the language and culture of the Yorùbá people are preserved.
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Keywords
Yorùbá, Proverbs, Media, Intervention, Òkodoro-ọ̀rọ̀