Communication Strategies for Yoruba Language Revitalisation Campaigns in Katsina State

Designing and executing effective communication campaigns for Yoruba language revitalisation in a northern Nigerian state dominated by Hausa and Fulfulde requires specialised professional communication strategies tailored to minority community contexts. This study examines communication strategies for Yoruba language revitalisation campaigns targeting Yoruba communities in Katsina State, North West Nigeria. Using a professional communication management framework, data were collected from campaign managers, community association representatives, media practitioners, and target community members in Katsina metropolis through interviews and campaign content analysis. The study applies strategic communication theory, specifically the integrated marketing communication framework and social marketing principles, to evaluate campaign design and delivery. Existing literature on language revitalisation in Nigeria has addressed policy and community sociolinguistics but has rarely engaged with the professional communication management of revitalisation campaigns as a distinct analytical focus. This study fills that professional gap. The research examines how campaigns segment their target audiences within the Yoruba Katsina community, select communication channels, develop linguistically and culturally appropriate messages, and evaluate campaign reach and impact. Findings are expected to reveal that interpersonal community association-based communication outperforms mass media channels for reaching Yoruba minority community members in Katsina, and that messages framed around cultural pride are more effective than those framed around language loss. Recommendations will address a strategic communication toolkit for Yoruba language revitalisation campaigns in northern Nigerian minority contexts. Keywords: communication strategies, Yoruba revitalisation, Katsina State, campaign management, minority language promotion.