Author: Dr Abdulwahid A. Aliy, Dr. Zubair Abdulhakeem, Prof. L. O., Ibraheem, Dr Hassanat F Abubakar-Hamid, Dr. Ambali B. Abdussalam, Dr Muritala Akeyede, Dr Jamiu Asalajo, Dr Shuiab Aljiyeli, Dr. A.O. Fahm, Dr. B. Adimula
University of Ilorin, Ilorin Nigeria
Date: 01/11/2025
Literature has long served as a medium for reflecting societal realities and advancing moral and social consciousness. In African societies, poetry occupies a central role in addressing communal concerns such as peace, justice, equity, and ethical responsibility. In contemporary Nigeria, persistent challenges including injustice, social inequality, and communal tension underscore the relevance of literary interventions that promote peaceful coexistence. Despite growing scholarship on Nigerian poetry, indigenous and regional Arabic poetic voices, particularly from Offa, Kwara State, remain underexplored. This study is therefore justified by the need to foreground local poetic expressions and examine their contribution to peace and justice discourse. The aim of this study is to analyze the representation of peace and justice in selected Arabic poems by Abubakri Agbaje and Abdulrahman Wuraola. The specific objectives are to identify dominant themes of peace and justice in the poems, examine the poets’ stylistic and thematic approaches, and assess poetry’s role as a tool for social engagement and moral advocacy. Adopting a qualitative literary-descriptive methodology, the study employs close textual and thematic analysis of purposively selected poems. The analysis is guided by thematic criticism and social realism to situate the poems within their socio-cultural context. Findings reveal that peace and justice are central and interdependent themes, with peace portrayed as communal harmony sustained by justice, dialogue, and moral accountability. The poets use poetry as a non-violent medium for social critique, ethical instruction, and consciousness-raising. The study recommends increased documentation of indigenous poetry, expanded scholarly engagement with local Arabic poets, and the integration of peace-oriented literary texts into educational and community-based peacebuilding initiatives.
Keywords: Peace; Justice; Poetry; Literary Analysis; Offa
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