Pragmatic Analysis of Speech Acts in Glo Telecom Network Advertisements on Facebook

Advertising is not merely a means of informing consumers about products and services; it is also a communicative practice through which advertisers perform actions intended to influence attitudes, emotions and behaviour (Akhimien, 2007; Chiluwa, 2007). In telecommunications advertising, linguistic choices are particularly important because service providers compete for consumers' attention, loyalty and patronage in a highly competitive market. The study examines the speech acts performed in Glo telecom network advertisements published on Facebook. The study adopts a qualitative descriptive research design and employs Searle's Speech Act Theory as its theoretical framework (Searle, 1969, 1976). Eight Glo Facebook advertisements were purposively selected and analysed according to their dominant illocutionary functions. The analysis identifies assertive, directive, commissive, expressive and interrogative acts, with several advertisements simultaneously performing more than one speech act. The findings reveal that directives and commissives constitute the most prominent persuasive strategies, while expressives and assertives are frequently used to establish emotional affinity, communicate positive brand values and present the services in favourable terms. Interrogative forms are also employed to stimulate audience reflection and interaction. The study demonstrates that Glo's Facebook advertising discourse goes beyond the transmission of information: it actively attempts to persuade consumers to act, promises benefits, constructs emotional relationships and associates the brand with connection, celebration, national identity and improved quality of life. It concludes that speech acts provide a useful pragmatic framework for understanding how telecom advertisements achieve persuasive objectives in social-media environments (Searle, 1976; Hussaini, 2025).