The Philosophy of Language and Postcolonial Identity: How Linguistic Hierarchies Shape Nigerian National Consciousness

This study examines the philosophy of language and its relationship to postcolonial identity formation in Nigeria, analysing how hierarchical valuations of English over indigenous languages constitute a philosophically identifiable form of linguistic injustice with measurable consequences for national consciousness and self-understanding. The philosophy of language in postcolonial contexts, developed by Ngugi wa Thiong'o, Frantz Fanon, and more recently Linus Tongeren, provides the foundational theoretical resources, but systematic empirical application of these frameworks to Nigerian linguistic hierarchies is absent from the literature. A mixed-methods philosophical design is employed, combining systematic philosophical analysis of linguistic justice with a quantitative survey of 320 students and professionals across the South West, North West, and South East geopolitical zones measuring attitudes to indigenous language use and national identity. Forty qualitative interviews with sociolinguists, philosophy of language academics, and education policy officers supplement the survey data. Findings establish a statistically significant relationship between English linguistic valorisation and weakened identification with Nigerian indigenous cultural traditions, supporting the philosophical argument that linguistic hierarchies generate epistemic self-alienation in postcolonial subjects. The study contributes an original empirical validation of Fanonian linguistic philosophy in the Nigerian context and proposes a linguistic justice framework for national language policy reform. Keywords: philosophy of language, postcolonial identity, linguistic justice, Nigerian consciousness, Fanon.