MULTIMODAL CONSTRUCTIONS OF NATIONAL IDENTITY IN THE NIGERIAN CURRENCY NOTES
National identity is an agelong global phenomenon whose construction or meaning negotiations has always been tied to some set of official emblems that are used as vehicle for shaping certain collective national ideologies. Extant studies have largely considered national symbols such as the national anthem, coat of arm, national museums, archival sites, national motto, and national colour from philosophical, sociological, and cultural perspectives with only a sparse attention paid to the Nigerian currencies and the inherent multimodal expressions in the constructions of national identities. This study, therefore, explores how national identities are constructed in the Nigerian currency notes in order to unmask the prominent semiotic resources inherent in the notes. Kress and Leeuwen’s Social Semiotic theory complemented with Fairclough’s strand of Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) were adopted as theoretical framework. Data, which were got online were the eight Nigerian currency notes (#5, #10, #20, #50, #100, #200, #500, #1000). The data were subjected to critical discourse analysis using interpretative design. The currency notes, featuring historical figures, landmarks, national colors, and inscriptions, were found to reflects Nigeria’s political, cultural, and post-colonial context. They solicit support for national unity and citizenship. The analyses of the semiotic elements of currency notes, reveals how the Nigerian state uses these symbols to reinforce the political and ideological goals of the nation, particularly the promotion of unity and national cohesion amidst ethnic and cultural diversity. Naira notes, as national symbols, function not only as representations of cultural and historical narratives but also as dynamic agents in the formation of national identity. The Nigerian currency notes, with their rich display of multimodal discourse resources, index an identity of a diverse, rich, complex, and potentially great nation. Such symbolic negotiations, constructions and communication of collective values of unity, sovereignty, and patriotism could be objects of further research for greater 21st century Nigerian polity.
Keywords: National identity constructions, Multimodal discourse expressions, Nigerian currency notes, Historical figures, ‘National phrases’
