Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria, played host to a vibrant academic gathering on Thursday, September 4, 2025, when Professor Abdullahi Ahmad of the Department of English and Literary Studies unveiled a new linguistic framework he has christened GBOBEISM: The Wave Theory of Speech Acts (GBOWATSA).
The presentation, delivered at the Abdullahi Smith Lecture Theatre, attracted a wide audience of lecturers, students, and administrators, and was hailed as a significant step in reviving intellectual debate within the university community.
Restoring a culture of scholarship
The session began with formalities before the Dean of the Faculty of Arts, Professor Sule Muhammad, addressed the gathering. He reflected on the decline of academic traditions such as seminars and public lectures, lamented by former Vice Chancellor Professor Kabiru Bala, and applauded Professor Ahmad for restoring that culture.
Drawing inspiration from history, Professor Muhammad reminded the audience that even during the Sokoto Jihad, scholars like Shehu Usman Danfodio and Malam Abdullahi Gwandu pursued research and writing despite conflict. According to him, academics today have the same obligation to advance knowledge regardless of political or economic challenges.
Professor Ahmad’s journey
Before the theory itself was introduced, a brief citation outlined Professor Ahmad’s personal and professional trajectory. Born in Idah, Kogi State, he attended Native Authority Primary School and Government Secondary School Okenya before enrolling at ABU, where he later obtained all his degrees up to PhD level in English.
His career, which began as a community school teacher in Bassa Local Government in 1990, has since spanned more than three decades. In 2020, he attained the rank of Professor of Applied Linguistics, specializing in pragmatics, sociolinguistics, and discourse analysis. Beyond publishing over sixty academic papers, he is actively involved in professional associations such as the Linguistic Association of Nigeria (LAN) and the African Pragmatics Association (AfPrA).
What is GBOBEISM
Taking the podium, Professor Ahmad explained why he named his theory after his hometown, Gbobe in Kogi State, following a scholarly tradition of anchoring theories in personal or geographical origins, similar to Darwinism or Marxism.
At its heart, GBOBEISM contends that speech should be understood as waves that radiate outward, influencing thought and behavior well beyond the moment of utterance. Building on J.L. Austin’s foundational ideas on speech acts, Prof. Ahmad’s contribution pays special attention to the consequences of words, their ability to trigger immediate reactions as well as long-term societal shifts.
The theory, he said, seeks to:
- Trace how spoken words spread across communities.
- Examine the ripple effects of statements made by leaders.
- Explore the relationship between speech, authority, and acceptance.
- Warn against reckless language and its potential for harm.
We must recognize that words have power,” Professor Ahmad said. “They can bless, they can destroy, they can define how we see ourselves, and they can determine how society reacts to us.
Debate and reactions
As expected in an academic setting, the theory immediately invited debate. Some participants argued that the framework is still at the stage of a model rather than a full-fledged theory, while others saw strong potential for its application in analyzing Nigerian politics, culture, and religion.
Professor Bello Sabo, Deputy Vice Chancellor (Administration), who represented the Vice Chancellor, described the back-and-forth as a sign of healthy scholarship. He further revealed that the university plans to document and archive such intellectual contributions for posterity.
Several attendees later shared their perspectives:
- Dr. Muhammad Awwal, English and Literary Studies, hailed it as a much-needed African perspective in global linguistic discourse.
- Muhammad Imam Yusuf considered it a promising but evolving framework, likely to grow with further refinement.
- James Jaku, an undergraduate guest from the Federal University of Education, Zaria, expressed enthusiasm, describing the theory as a “reality system” with transformative potential.
What lies ahead
Concluding the event, Professor Ahmad expressed gratitude for the feedback and pledged to continue refining GBOBEISM ahead of his inaugural lecture. He stressed that the goal was not simply to theorize for its own sake but to provide tools that fellow scholars and students can actively apply in their studies.
My central objective,” he said, “is to bring something new to the study of linguistics that colleagues and students can use in their analyses. I welcome the criticisms, they are part of the process. What matters is that we keep moving scholarship forward.
