Proverbs as Instruments of Conflict Resolution in Yoruba Communities of Ondo State

The use of proverbs in African dispute resolution processes reflects a sophisticated system of indigenous jurisprudence and social regulation. This study examines how Yoruba proverbs function as instruments of conflict resolution within selected communities in Ondo State, South West Nigeria. A qualitative research design was adopted, incorporating ethnographic observation, in-depth interviews with community elders, and focus group discussions with local council mediators. The study targets three communities in Akure South, Owo, and Idanre local government areas, where traditional conflict resolution mechanisms remain active alongside formal legal institutions. The theoretical framework draws on speech act theory and African communalism to analyse proverbs as performative linguistic units with binding social force. Reviewed literature confirms that proverbs serve regulatory functions in many Yoruba communities, yet systematic empirical studies from Ondo remain scarce. This research fills that gap by collecting and contextualising a corpus of 120 proverbs recorded in actual dispute settings. The study investigates the categories of conflict for which proverbs are most frequently invoked, the authority figures who deploy them, and the degree of community acceptance of proverb-based settlements. Findings are expected to demonstrate that certain proverb categories carry near-universal moral authority among Ondo Yoruba speakers, functioning as normative legal texts. Recommendations will address how indigenous proverb traditions can complement formal alternative dispute resolution mechanisms. Keywords: Yoruba proverbs, conflict resolution, Ondo State, indigenous jurisprudence, speech act theory.