A Professor of Linguistics at the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN), Christine Iyetunde Ofulue, has declared Nigerian Pidgin (Naija) a fast-growing global language, citing its rising influence and expanding use across borders.
Delivering NOUN’s 35th inaugural lecture in Abuja, titled “Reclaiming Marginalized Voices: Intersections of Diversity and Educational Spaces,” Professor Ofulue described Nigerian Pidgin as both a cultural symbol and a unifying force.
She revealed that the language is now spoken by an estimated 100 to 120 million people, ranking it as the 14th most spoken language in the world. Among 76 documented global pidgins and creoles, she noted, Nigerian Pidgin stands out for its wide reach and impact.
“What began as a colonial-era trade language has evolved into a national lingua franca.
“Nigerian Pidgin is a testament to our resilience. It reflects how ordinary Nigerians connect, share stories, and create identity beyond official structures,” Ofulue explained.
Highlighting Nigeria’s linguistic diversity, she pointed out that the country is home to about 540 languages from three major language families, Afro-Asiatic, Nilo-Saharan, and Niger-Congo, spoken by over 223 million people. “In Nigeria, multilingualism isn’t rare, it’s a way of life,” she said.
Despite its popularity, Ofulue expressed concern that Nigerian Pidgin remains excluded from official and educational domains, while many minority languages face extinction due to policy neglect, lack of intergenerational transmission, and the dominance of English.
She urged deliberate efforts to promote the inclusion of Nigerian Pidgin and other underrepresented languages in education and governance.
Recommendations included curriculum reforms, adoption of inclusive teaching methods, digitisation of indigenous knowledge, creation of technical glossaries, and development of multimedia content in native languages to strengthen their relevance in digital spaces.
Some Nigerian Pidgin expressions already recognized in the Oxford English Dictionary include eba, japa, abi, suya, danfo, okada, Yahoo boy, and area boy.
In his closing remarks, NOUN Vice-Chancellor, Professor Olufemi Peters, praised Ofulue’s lecture and humorously switched to Pidgin himself to commend her insights, a gesture that drew enthusiastic cheers from the audience.
(Daily Gazette)
