African proverbs date back ages. They have embedded qualities that set them out as postulations that can be adopted for situations and issues analysis. They can be moved from the realm of mere proverbs into the realm of theories through refinement and scholarly activities.

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Developing Africa-oriented Communication Theories
By Matthew Emmanuel O.
Table of Contents
Introduction ..................................................................................................................................2
Functions of communication theories..........................................................................................4
Concept of Proverbs in Africa .......................................................................................................4

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Communication theories and African Proverbs: Similarities........................................................6
i. Both are tested and proven:..............................................................................................6
ii. Universal appeal: ...............................................................................................................7
iii. Perform same functions: ...................................................................................................7
Criteria for evaluating theories.....................................................................................................7
Theoretical scope...............................................................................................................7
Appropriateness:................................................................................................................7
Heuristic value ...................................................................................................................7
Validity ...............................................................................................................................7
Parsimony: ........................................................................................................................7
Openness: .........................................................................................................................7
Conclusion.....................................................................................................................................9
References ..................................................................................................................................11
Introduction
The importance and place of communication in our world today cannot be overemphasised.
Without mincing words, communication can be described as the very essence of man’s
existence because his life and activities revolve around communication as he depends on it to

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interact, understand and relate with his environment through verbal and non-verbal cues.
Speak (2014) in summarising this assertion defines communication as the foundation of all
human relationship and existence.
According to Grimsley (2016), it is almost impossible for man to go through a day without the
use of communication to convey information, which could be in form of facts, ideas, concepts,
opinions, beliefs, attitudes, instructions and even emotions. Hence, man’s world would be
complicated and uneventful without communication. As a unit of being, man communicates
intra-personally to be able to function as one. As it were, the development in man’s world and
his environment has been possible through the advancement in his capacity to study,
understand and interpret effectively through communication the phenomena about his
environment/society and his world. Buttressing this point, Speak (2014) likens the significance
of communication to man as breathe; adding that it facilitates the spread of knowledge and
forms the bedrock of every relationship between people, organisations, groups, interests, etc.
This explains why chaos/crisis usually ensue whenever there is a breakdown or lapse in
communication between or among interests – individuals, groups, organisation, nations, etc.
To continue to improve the standard of living and the quality of relationships that exist in our
world, communication as a complex and dynamic concept has gone through developmental
stages leading to the evolution of meaning. Studies and researches have been conducted to
understand better the concept of communication and how best to do it to achieve effective
outcomes. This has resulted in series of mass communication and media studies and the
propounding of various communication theories as foundation to understanding the concept
of communication.
Suresh (2003) argues that the study of communication and mass media has resulted in the
formulation of many theories such as structural and functional theories which support the
understanding that social structures are real and function in ways that can be observed
objectively; cognitive and behavioural theories which focus on psychology of individuals;
interactionist theories which view social life as a process of interaction; interpretive theories
which uncover the ways people actually understand their own experience; and critical
theories which are concerned with the conflict of interests in society and the way
communication perpetuates domination of one group over another. These theories among
others provide us with abstract understanding of the communication process while providing
us with a lens through which we can see and evaluate the world around us (Miller, 2002). In
essence, the development of communication theories have continued to promote lesser
conflicts in our world today as they help us with better understanding of the various elements
and phenomena making up the society and our environment.

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Functions of communication theories
Communication theories as stated perform fundamental functions in our world today
especially our relationships. Some of these functions are succinctly presented thus:
 Communication theories provide us profound basis and ground towards
understanding communication process
 They help us understand better human interactions and relations
 They make communication and ancillary communication activities more effective and
impactful
 They help promote good practices and improvement within the
society/organisation/group, etc.
For Miller and Nicholson (1997) communication theories perform five basic functions:
i. Comprehension – understanding of phenomenon
ii. Explanation of phenomenon, situation, issues
iii. Prediction of outcomes
iv. Control of situations/events/outcomes
v. Criticism of actions
Before proceeding to explore the relation between proverbs as communication theories in
the Africa setting, it would be expedient to lay a background understanding of what proverbs
are in Africa and how relevant they are in communication, situation and phenomenon analysis
and in promoting peaceful co-existence.
Concept of Proverbs in Africa
The term Proverb has been described variously by authors, scholars, philosophers, writers,
etc. To some, they are sayings loaded with outstanding wisdom with inferred messages. They
are also described as simple but concrete saying, popularly known and repeated, that express
truth based on common sense or experience. They are integral part of the traditional society
with the potential to help preserve values, culture, morals and other ethical beliefs that shape
the society.
For Oba (2015) Proverbs have been and remain “a most powerful and effective instrument for
the transmission of culture, social morality, manners and ideas of a people from one
generation to another…it is an aphorism, a wise saying based upon people's experience, and
is a reflection of the social values and sensibility of the people”. Explaining further the place of
Proverbs in the African context, Oba (2015) added that the collation of the proverbs of a

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particular community or society could be referred to or taken as the ethnography of the
people, which if properly focused and presented could give a semblance of the people’s way
of life, their philosophy, their criticism of life, moral truths and social values.
Proverbs usually have their origin in tradition, culture, language, beliefs and customs.
Accordingly, they fall in the category of formulaic language, meaning they transcend
languages, traditions and cultures with the potential of permeating socio-cultural, economic
and political barriers of any society.
Mbagu (2010) expatiated on the importance of proverbs in the African setting and how
invaluable they are in building and preserving the African beliefs, traditions, culture, values
and the real essence of the African world. As it were, proverbs are integral part of the
traditional society – world over. They are like tested and proven age long experiences, handed
down through generations, and are used to forestall, instil, preserve, instruct, discourage,
encourage, explain, correct, direct, etc. as the case or situation may demand.
Mbagu (2010) further brought to fore some basic significance of proverbs in Africa. These
could be related to communication theories and how significant they are in influencing how
we communicate and how we live our lives. The following are some of the importance
pointed out by Mbagu:
 Proverbs provide practical wisdom people have learned in their way of life
 Proverbs give better understanding of the way of life in Africa
 Proverbs reveal the superiority of every society and non-superiority of another over
one
 Proverbs is used to demystify a process, situation or phenomenon not understood
 Proverbs provide better alternative to communicating bad message in a subtle way
Abayomi (2016) also provided some basic five functions that proverbs in Africa perform
(though these functions transcend cultural, ethnic and other boundaries); they include:
 Communicational functions: they form good and essential ingredients in standard
African communication. They enable speakers to give universal status to a special and
particular incident; use to soften rather harsh words in a more polite way
 Descriptive functions: they come handy in describing phenomena, events, issues and
circumstances giving a better understanding and a better ground for effectiveness of
the communication
 Culture reflection and oral vocabulary functions: As it were, proverbs share the same
function as myths and other oral traditions on contemporary African thoughts
systems. They are used to preserve history, tradition, culture and beliefs of a set of
people, nation or State. Experiences and happenings are kept and pass down from
generation to generation as knowledge through their existence.

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 Education and socialization functions: Embedded in proverbs are wealth of experience
and wisdom tested and proven over decades. They are embodiment of knowledge in
oral form that could be systemised and refined to the standards at which we have the
present day communication theories. Quoting Socrates, Abayomi (2016) noted that
“proverbs folklores and fables inclusive as the first form of education children hear
and are easily molded by them. Popular proverbs highlight virtues and vices, indicating
accepted social acts and frowning at unacceptable ones”.
 Philosophical functions: Proverbs are deep thought rooted in wisdom and experience.
They are not mere words to be taken for their face meaning. They contain and carry
deeper meanings that could be subjected to philosophical thinking. They are
embodiment of a people’s ideology possessing epistemic, ethical, aesthetical and
metaphysical contents, logically packaged and presented in an appealing manner.
Communication theories and African Proverbs: Similarities
Questions have been asked on why most communication theories are of foreign inclination or
origin. Why are most communication theories usually propounded by American scholars,
Europeans and other foreign scholars but not of African descent? Does it mean Africans do
not communicate effectively when in essence Africa is the home of good communication with
pure communication history? Are African proverbs and sayings not good enough to qualify or
be developed into theories even when they have universal acceptance?
As a student of communication, I strongly believe in the universality of African proverbs and
their potential for qualification as communication theories that could be academically
presented, tested, documented, evaluated and proven. I believe that African proverbs,
though still preserved and presented in their native forms could be harnessed, developed,
tested and presented as theories of communication for further studies. On this premise, I
have decided to draw some similarities that exist between communication theories and
African proverbs.
i. Both are tested and proven: To qualify as theory, a hypothesis would have been
subjected to series of testing and proven to be effective as hypothesised. In the
same vein, African proverbs are products of long standing experience codified
orally and transmitted by word of mouth, myths, folklore or tales from generation
to generation. They have been hypothesised and tested over the years but the
process have not really been documented and promoted over the years by Africa
scholars. While these proverbs remain relevant even in our day-to-day activities
with universal appeal, not much is being done to promote them beyond this native
stage into a scholarly stage where they can be subjected to scholarly scrutiny and
evaluation.

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ii. Universal appeal: Communication theories have universal acceptance and appeal
so also African proverbs. They are both accepted as valid in interpreting, explaining
and understanding circumstances.
iii. Perform same functions: It is interesting to state that communication theories and
African proverbs play same functions of describing, explaining, predicting and
criticising situations, events, issues and circumstances.
Instructively, communication theories and African proverbs provide ground for better
understanding of communication and related issues. They help to promote a better society by
promoting the understanding of phenomenon such as human relations, social interaction,
human behaviour, group behaviour, perception, culture and other human relations cum
communication issues.
Criteria for evaluating theories
The qualification of African proverbs as communication theories is not without some
pragmatic academic hurdles besides what has been stated above. According to Momoh
(2016), for theories to be evaluated and certified, they must have the following properties
highlighted below. In the same vein, for African proverbs to move from the realm of proverbs
to the realm of theories, they must have the following properties:
 Theoretical scope: This focuses on the generality of the theory, how applicable is it to
a wide range of (communication) cases, situations, circumstances and events?
 Appropriateness: This is evaluation based on its epistemological, ontological and
axiological assumptions relating to the issues being considered.
 Heuristic value: Bothers on the researchable values of the theory for purposes of
further learning and improvement. Every theory must have the quality of being valid
for operationalisation.
 Validity: This refers to the level to which the theory relates to the world. Can the
theory be applicable in our world and is it realistic?
 Parsimony: This defines the quality/qualification of the theory to fit (simply) into a
described situation or case, the ability of the theory to explain succinctly a given
phenomenon.
 Openness: A theory should be able to link to another theory, it must or should be
compatible with other accepted theories.
Treating and presenting African Proverbs in this light and with these properties will further
enhance their qualification for communication theories. Most of the African Proverbs already
have these qualities in-built and could be expanded to achieve the desired.
Illustration of African Proverbs as basis for situation analysis
When cases are presented, communication scholars/experts are quick to seek out
communication theory or theories that could be used as basis for the analysis and better

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understanding of the case, situation or phenomenon. The understanding of the
communication theory (ies) and what it (they) propose(s) are then used to analyse the case,
draw inferences, test the findings and arrive at a conclusion from which recommendations on
what should or could be done would be derived. Exploring the concept of proverb as
communication theories in Africa, the following proverbs are presented as basis for analysing
situations, circumstances:
1. Knowledge is like a garden: if it is not cultivated, it cannot be harvested
Meaning: If you don’t make efforts to acquire knowledge then you would not expect to have
it and if you do not put the knowledge you have to use, you cannot expect to gain anything
from it.
This is an African proverb that promotes the importance, value and culture of diligence,
resilience, hard work and success. It tends to discourage lackadaisical attitude, laziness,
irresponsibility and its accompanying vices. Such proverb could be presented in analysing
cases and circumstances around such human subjects as hard work, commitment, etc. It
presented the value and virtue of sowing and reaping.
2. If you offend, ask for pardon; if offended forgive
Meaning: if you upset someone, apologise to him or her. If someone upsets you, forgive him
or her because what goes around comes around.
This is more of a philosophical and ethical proverb that promotes the value of peaceful co-
existence in the society. It is a proverb that tends to instil good neighbourliness as well as
tolerance for other’s shortcomings since no one is completely infallible. In the realm of
communication and human relations, no one is an island and since humans will relate, there
are bound to be issues, conflicts and crisis, since these are inevitable,
individuals/groups/communities/interests should also strive to build and exude such virtues
as temperance, tolerance and forgiveness.
3. The best way to eat an elephant in your path is cut him up into pieces
Meaning: The best approach to solving a problem is to take it bit by bit; one at a time
There is simplicity in every complexity. There is no situation, challenge or circumstance no
matter how complex that cannot be resolved if the problem is analysed and broken down into
bits and taken on one at a time. In a case of communication impasse or communication crises,
such proverb and the values it promotes could be handy and useful. This proverb can be
further expanded with theoretical features to qualify it for communication theory. Hypothesis
could be formulated and subjected to testing and evaluation.
4. Don’t set sail using someone else’s star

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Meaning: Avoid copying someone else. Just because someone has been successful in what
he does should not be what will make you do the same thing and expect to be successful.
This proverb stresses the peculiarity of every situation and circumstance. Though similar,
no case or situation are exactly the same. This calls for caution in the analysis and
application of solution to crisis, issues or situations. As communication experts, this could
suffice for the theory on examining every situation on its merit and never jumping into
conclusion as some do without adequate evaluation of the situation. The strategy that
worked yesterday for case A may not work for a similar case B tomorrow because the
timing is different, the stakeholders may be different, the interest may be different, the
industry may be different, etc.
Communication strategy should always be objective and not subjective to ensure the
desired result is derived at all times.
5. The day a mosquito lands on your testicles is the day you will know there is a better
way of resolving issues without using violence
Meaning: There are better ways to resolving issues and conflict other than violence
This is a great Proverb that is apt for communication. It stresses the power and influence
of communication during crisis and conflict especially when they are delicate – every
crisis is delicate. Violence or unethical practices are not the way to go during challenging
times, When there are issues and challenges for an organisation or individual, Applying
appropriate communication strategy is always a sure way to win and turn around the
situation. Being aggressive or defensive could spell more doom just as trying to kill the
mosquito on your testicles with a slap could be injurious to your well-being and
“performance”.
Conclusion
There is no doubt that proverbs were and still are very significant in traditional societies
across the world because they remain relevant in our day-to-day socio-political and economic
dealings/interactions. They provide us with apt ideas, interpretations, explanations, solutions
and understandings to various phenomena of our interactions and relations. Mbagu (2010)
lamented the restriction of African proverbs to nativity and inability to promote them into the
realm of communication theories that are acceptable universally.
Unfortunately, despite proverbs being the backbone of a lot of societies by helping to
identify and dignify culture, their potential value for modern thought and life is still to
be recognised. Even in Africa, proverbs are a vanishing heritage associated mostly with
rural world. They seem never to have found a hoe in the modern world, especially in
the imported system of education because schools don’t bring out the great
importance of proverbs in the lessons being taught…Many Philosophers in the western

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world could learn from the simplicity and brevity of African proverbs that are
unclouded by too many words
– Mbagu, 2010
African proverbs are rich in thought and wisdom and are embedded with the intrinsic
qualities and criteria that can qualify them for communication theories, if harnessed and
presented to the world by African scholars and brains. They are educational, explanatory,
descriptive, and communicative.

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References
Abayomi, O. (2016, Noveber). Philosophy in African Proverbs. From Academia:
https://www.academia.edu/3396925/Philosophy_in_African_Proverbs
Books, W. (2013, April 25). Intorduction to Communication Theory/ Evaluating Theory. From
Wiki Books:
https://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Introduction_to_Communication_Theory/Evaluating_T
heory
Grimsley, S. (2016, Noveber 15). What is Communication? - Definition & Importance. From
Study.com: http://study.com/academy/lesson/what-is-communication-definition-
importance.html#transcriptHeader
Mbagu, I. (2010, December 22). Significance of Proverbs in Africa and Beyond. Afrostyle
Magazine .
Miler, G., & Nicholson, H. (1976). Communicaion Inquiry: a perspective on process. Addison-
Wesley Pub. Co.
Oba, D. I. (2015). The Functions and Nature of Proverbs. From VoiceNet.com:
http://www.voicesnet.com/displayonedoc.aspx?docid=159515
Suresh, K. (2003). Journalism and Mass Communication. PEOI.
Thandiubani. (2016, July 30). 15 funny and wise African proverbs to make you laugh and roll
on the floor. From Tori.ng: http://www.tori.ng/news/36551/15-funny-and-wise-
african-proverbs-to-make-you-lau.html