Transitivity : Projecting Advertising Discourse as a Nation-Building Mechanism in Nigeria

This study investigated functional meaning potential in the discourses of advertising frameworks. To achieve this, eight advertisements of Ecobank, Orijin, Conoil, Chevron, ExxonMobil, Unity Bank, and Etisalat of the 2015 Nigerian Independence Day and Workers‟ Day were chosen for analysis. After the application of a sampling design to the texts, the advertisements were processed through Transitivity, enhancing the scientific computation of their structural and semantic frequencies. With a combination of qualitative and quantitative procedures, the analysis revealed general and specific meanings, where material processes such as has gone and partnered dominated the communications. Generally, a behavioural process, celebrate, a circumstantial feature of time, since then, and the active system of voice, we wish you, were deployed to stimulate readers. The study also demonstrated the spirit of association (we, our) to stimulate readers. Specifically, Ecobank rejoices with Nigerians as Conoil institutes a conquering spirit for citizens. Orijin throws critical judgment on people, while Chevron and Exxon Mobil propagate absolute commitment as fundamental to moving Nigeria forward. With Seaman’s Schnapps largely discouraging intoxication, the study suggested that the advertising industry should add moral contents to their discourses to augment nation building. Significantly, researchers-cum-students of discourse analysis will benefit from this appraisal to understand the effects of Transitivity on the nitty-gritty of advertising structures