PROVERB AS A TOOL FOR EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION: THE COVID-19 EXPERIENCE

Abstract

Proverb is a vital tool in communication. It is on this premise, therefore, that this paper examines the role of Igbo proverbs in the dissemination of information and effective communication in the era of covid-19 pandemic, with a view to highlighting its importance in this information age, as an indelible part of our growing culture and as an important tool in the dissemination of information. A total of twenty (20) proverbs were extracted from the recordings from sensitizations during the palliative sharing and health awareness campaigns in four different social settings in Nawfia rural community, Anambra, Nigeria. Using the conceptual metaphor framework in the data analysis, the findings of the study show that Igbo proverbs were used deliberately to praise, encourage and acknowledge those that provided palliatives for the people to cushion the effects of the pandemic, and also to lay emphasis on the inevitability of spread, pains, torture or even death to all those who do not heed the covid- 19 pandemic warning. Further observations reveal strict and positive adherence to almost all the precautions, and this validates the fact that the proper use of Igbo proverbs in communication begets desired response and result. The study recommends radio programmes and Youtube tutorials on Igbo proverbs among secondary schools, for a productive transfer of this heritage to the digital generation towards actualizing proper use of proverbs in communication.