PRAGMATIC STRATEGIES IN POLITICAL COMMUNICATION: A SPEECH ACTS AND POLITENESS ANALYSIS OF KASHIM SHETTIMA’S ADDRESS AT THE 79TH UNITED NATIONS GENERAL ASSEMBLY

Abstract

This paper investigates the pragmatic strategies employed in Vice President Kashim Shettima’s address at the Seventy-Ninth Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA). Drawing on Austin’s Speech Acts theory and Searle’s classification of illocutionary acts, alongside Brown and Levinson’s Politeness theory, the study analyses how Shettima deploys language to perform communicative acts in a global political context. The methodology adopts a qualitative descriptive design, sourcing primary data from the official transcript of the UNGA speech and supplemented by secondary scholarly materials. The analysis relies on purposive sampling of forty excerpts that exemplify speech acts, systematically interpreted in relation to their illocutionary force and perlocutionary effect. Findings reveal that Shettima’s speech is rich in directive acts urging international cooperation, commissive acts pledging Nigeria’s commitment to peace and development, expressive acts conveying gratitude and solidarity, and declarative acts reinforcing Nigeria’s global commitments. Politeness strategies, particularly positive politeness and face-saving devices, were employed to foster goodwill and reduce imposition in the diplomatic environment of the UN. The study concludes that Shettima’s linguistic choices are not only rhetorical but also pragmatic, as they negotiate power, solidarity, and persuasion. It further suggests that pragmatic analysis of African leaders’ speeches at multilateral platforms provides insight into the intersection of politics, language, and international relations.