NATIONAL UNITY AND THE ROLE OF ARABIC LANGUAGE IN A MULTICULTURAL SOCIETY: NIGERIA AS A CASE STUDY

Abstract

Language is one of the most important factors that shapes a nation and its components, language also contains a nation’s history, experiences, successes, failures, concepts, values, and etiquette, as well as its cultural emotional, and spiritual link between its people, it is an effective factor in transmitting all of the aforementioned events from one generation to another. accordingly, language plays an important role in preserving the culture and civilization of a nation, and it is a basis for nation building orientation, and contribute to the national growth and development, on that basis, Arabic language plays a tangible role in national unity, because it is the medium through both Muslims and Arab describes their present and future in terms of progress and advancement. Therefore, this language has a pioneering role in achieving the advancement of a nations. it is therefore said the level of progress of a nation is measured by the level of progress of its language, creativity, number of its speakers, in view of the importance of Arabic language and its role in nation building, this paper aims to shed light on the role of Arabic language towards national unity in Nigeria. national unity has to do with a person’s awareness of his surroundings socially, politically, and economically, as well as the feeling of the necessity of reviving his national heritage with its historical mission and its role in the development of the nation. the study concluded that Arabic language contributed significantly to strengthening national unity among different culture in Nigeria through Advocacy for national security, youth participation in national services, establishment of various Arabic language associations, its presence in various international organizations and unions