This paper explores the subject matter of human language as a social phenomenon in a multi-cultural and multi-ethnic society like Nigeria. The paper situates language as a complex social phenomenon which pervades every aspect of human life. It identifies the role of language in intrapersonal and interpersonal communication, and the complexities involved in every communicative event that must not be taken for granted. Furthermore, it identifies the functions and limitations of language, including its negative functions as viewed from Critical theory. The paper affirms that language is a central phenomenon in human cognitive development, internal conceptualization of thoughts and ideas, the external expression and sharing of thoughts, the perception and representation of social reality, the transmission of culture, and the maintenance of social relations. The paper further notes that language difference can be a source of social dysfunction in multi-lingual and multi-cultural societies like Nigeria.

This article examines the use of internet-based media platforms for marketing communication among fashion designers as a manifestation of globalization and neoliberal free trade. It highlights some features of neoliberalism, sub-themes of the cultural and creative industries concept, and some impact of using digital media technologies, and argues that there is nexus between these three concepts. It notes that neoliberal globalization has promoted free markets and facilitated the disannulment of barriers which previously excluded many from trading freely. The findings suggest there are inherent economic benefits as well as precarious conditions associated with the use of digital marketing platforms. These conditions, some of which subvert the individuals’ rewards from using their talent, are consistent with the rise of precarious work under neoliberal capitalism. It recommends that cultural producers should seek ways of maximizing the benefits in using these media platforms while minimizing the burdens and precarious conditions.

A central theme of the cultural and creative industries (CCI) discourse is the exploitation of intellectual capital for economic benefits by CCI workers. Also, the CCI are seen as vehicles of cultural expression and should contribute significantly to employment generation. But beyond cultural expression and employment creation, the CCI can be a veritable pathway to the globalisation of local cultures. This paper reviews two segments of CCI in Nigeria to assess how the concept has fared, especially, with difficulties associated with registration and enforcement of IPRs in these two key segments. The paper explores a brief history and reviews activities in these two selected segments in terms of employment creation, economic value added and overall impact they are having on Nigeria’s culture and political economy. It concludes that authentic cultural creativity can indeed globalize aspects of a country’s culture and reposition its image in subtle but effective ways.

It has been argued that the file-sharing dimension of the internet undermines the intellectual property rights of creative producers. By simply clicking a button, creative works such as music, films, books and fashion designs can be accessed, used and distributed free-of-charge via digital media platforms. This has led to what some writers termed copyfights between those that support the unrestricted sharing of creative works over the internet, and those who support the protection of the copyright of creative producers on the internet. This problem continues to dog creative producers in the knowledge economy. This article examines how this problem has affected fashion designers as creative producers, and how they have managed it.  It argues that fashion designers have effectively leveraged and optimized the file-sharing dimension of the internet, and concludes that the internet is a strategic imperative for fashion designers and perhaps for every creative worker in the digital era.