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The West African country of Nigeria is one of many nations worldwide where English is prevalent. The language was initially brought into Nigeria by traders, missionaries, and colonizers, and is used today in both formal and informal contexts. Both Standard English and Nigerian Pidgin English are spoken by much of the population. Considering there are many languages indigenous to Nigeria, there is certainly significant aversion to English, which can be seen as a language of oppression. However, others see benefits to the language.
There is also some tension between the Standard and the Pidgin. Overall, both Standard English and Nigerian Pidgin English are gaining ground in Nigeria.
Nigeria has much linguistic diversity. The population was estimated at over 180 million people in 2015, and includes various ethnic groups (Trading Economics). Estimates of how many languages are spoken in Nigeria range from 150 to 400 or even more (Obiegbu). Three of the most prominent native languages in the country include Igbo, with five million speakers, Hausa, with fourteen million speakers in and around Nigeria, and Yoruba, with five million speakers in and around Nigeria (Danladi).
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The 1988 Constitution designates English as the official language, although these three common indigenous languages may also be used in addition for government proceedings (Obiegbu). Despite the many native languages in Nigeria, English is becoming increasingly dominant.
Records are somewhat unclear in revealing how English first arrived in Nigeria, but it seems that it was introduced through trading, missionaries, and colonization. Some sources say that “the Pidgin English originally evolved from the need for the missionaries, later British sailors to communicate with local merchants” (Danladi).
British Christian missionaries sought communication with Nigerians, and traders needed a way to interact as well. However, it seems likely “from the development of Pidgin English along the coastal areas of Nigeria, and its use as business language during the time of the slave trade that there must have been contact with the English language earlier than the records available show” (Adetugbo 92). Even if there is not detailed tracking of how the English language entered Nigeria, it is clear that it has a long history there, especially in coastal areas where the Pidgin developed early. There were probably early traders there even before records were being well kept. There is also mention of other European languages, most notably Portuguese, but “the period of the trans-Atlantic slave trade changed” the status of English as the British gained power and influence in the area (Adetugbo 94). English won out over Portuguese as the European language with power. This was reinforced by British colonization, which enforced English usage in education as well as for “formal and religious, administrative, and sometimes commercial” purposes (Adetugbo 102). English was first brought to Nigeria by British traders and missionaries, and it became dominant through British rule, which lasted until the mid 20th century.
Nigerian Pidgin English developed from a combination of English, Nigerian indigenous languages, and other European languages. As stated above, the Pidgin evolved at least partially as a way for traders, missionaries, and native Nigerians to communicate. With lots of English and other European influence, “Pidgin is intimately linked with English even in its structure to the extent that Pidgin is thought to be English based even when many other European languages have contributed in varying degrees to its vocabulary” (Adetugbo 92). Due to trade with Portugal, Portuguese also had a significant effect on the Pidgin, among other languages, but English is the primary foundation. Native languages such as Yoruba, Hausa, and Igbo have also influenced Nigerian Pidgin English; structures or vocabulary in the Pidgin are often “derived from” one of these, or have an indigenous language as their “source language” (Igboanusi). The Pidgin initially formed because people speaking many languages came together and needed a way to communicate. Today, “there are many uniquely Nigerian socio-cultural thoughts that simply cannot be expressed in the ‘standard’ form of the English language. So Nigerians either translate their native languages to take care of this lack, or they appropriate existing English words and phrases and imbue them with meanings that serve their communicative needs” (Kperogi 5). Literal translations of words and phrases from native Nigerian languages into English do not always make sense to someone familiar with American, British, or other form of English, so these unique expressions become part of Nigerian Pidgin. Other differences may be due to using Standard English words in nonstandard ways, to language that has become archaic in other English varieties, or to elements that were originally incorrect but have become widespread and consistent and therefore valid (Kperogi 6-20). The combination of English, native Nigerian, and other European vocabulary and grammar have led to Nigerian Pidgin English.
There are many distinctive features of language in Nigerian English. One may sometimes hear sentences either without subjects or without verbs; for example, “Is very far” could replace “It is very far,” and someone could say simply “How things?” instead of “How are things?” (Igboanusi). While standard English speakers in the UK or US may see this as strange and incorrect, these tendencies appear frequently and are well understood by Nigerian English (NE) speakers. Another common marker of NE is reduplication, or the repetition of a word; according to Igboanusi, “the reduplication of an intensifier or a quantifier may be for emphasis… or for pluralisation”. Again, this repetitive feature is part of what makes the Pidgin a unique variety of English, and is part of the grammatical structure. Back-formation and affixation are also common in NE, like other varieties of English, although the Pidgin has some unique ones. Kperogi explains that “back-formation is said to occur when speakers of a language invent new words by removing what is wrongly thought to be a suffix” and affixation “occurs when speakers of a language coin a new word by adding to an existing word” (169-170). An example of back-formation unique to NE is ‘barb’ as a verb, “used to denote cutting or shaving men’s hair” (171). An example of affixation is ‘confusionist,’ which is used to “refer to someone who causes confusion or who is confused” (172). Finally, Nigerians often use tag questions such as “isn’t it?” or “not so?” at the ends of sentences, as well as discourse particles, which are simple interjections or exclamations “frequently used in conversation” (Igboanusi). Though different from other varieties of English, these elements are similar to filler words. There are many other markers of Nigerian English, but these are some of the most common.
There are also differences in pronunciation when comparing Nigerian English (standard or pidgin) with British or American English. There isn’t just one Nigerian accent or way of pronouncing English; “Nigeria has a vast variety of pronunciations and accents” due to regional differences and influences from native languages (Kperogi 197). One common pronunciation feature, however, is that “most Nigerian English speakers across regional and social class barriers render the ‘th’ in words like ‘thank’ as ‘t’ so that there is no difference in pronunciation between ‘thank’ and ‘tank’ (Kperogi 197). This is one thing that usually distinguishes NE. Regional, socioeconomic, and other differences contribute to pronunciation differences within NE as well. For example, “many Hausa speakers of English… interchange ‘p’ and ‘f’ and render the ‘th’ sound in the article ‘the’ as ‘za’ (Kperogi 197). More localized differences like these may suggest where in Nigeria someone is from, how much education they have, or what kind of background they come from. For instance, speakers with more education may be more likely to have pronunciation closer to Standard English. Other common pronunciations that differ from British or American English include the tendency to pronounce the ‘t’ in ‘ballet’ or ‘buffet’ or the ‘b’ in words such as ‘bomb’ (Kperogi 199). These pronunciations are common, and they are sometimes considered incorrect, but sometimes considered simply reflective of the fact that Nigerian Pidgin English is its own language variety with its own rules.
Standard English is the language of instruction in Nigeria and is used in formal situations, despite controversy over its use. English was originally used in education because of the missionaries, but it became more dominant with British political influence and control (Adetugbo 101). An ordinance in 1882 made English the language of instruction, although there was protest in favor of native languages so another 1887 ordinance “gave recognition to Nigeria languages in schools” (Danladi). This reflects an ongoing debate between whether or not English should be used so widely in Nigeria. Some see English as the language of oppression or at least “an aspect of colonial culture” that is unwelcome (Danladi). Others seek to achieve “national unity” of many different ethnic groups who would normally be speaking different languages, through English (Obiegbu). Despite pushback, English is extremely prevalent in Nigeria for formal and official uses. In addition to education, which is now conducted entirely in English, the government uses English as its official language, though local governments may also use native tongues; business and media are also primarily in English (Adetugbo, Danladi). In fact, a “professional with good English language skills can earn an average of thirty percent (30%) more than someone with no English language skills” (Obiegbu). English is seen as the language of prestige and success, so many people want to learn it in hopes of doing well socially and financially.
Standard English and Nigerian Pidgin English are also used informally to some extent. A survey found that over two thirds of Nigerians use both some form of English and an indigenous language at home, and estimate that they must rely on English about 70% of the time in order to communicate in certain contexts, such as with people who speak different native languages (Danladi). Although some people are upset about the minimization of Nigeria’s many indigenous languages, English does seem to be successful in uniting people to some degree. The same survey indicated that just about 12% of respondents “regard pidgin as English” (Danladi). However, Nigerian Pidgin English is become more and more accepted. In 2014, CCTV Africa did a story declaring “Nigerian Pidgin English accepted as unofficial second language”. Radio stations have been popping up with hosts speaking in Pidgin, and musicians and comedians are sometimes performing in the language as well. One man interviewed by CCTV said that Pidgin “is becoming an art;” he and other Nigerians take pride in performing abroad and spreading the language. Nigerian Pidgin English has broad appeal and understanding. One woman in the clip said she thought that school should be taught in Pidgin, not Standard English, because kids are “born into pidgin… they think in pidgin… they relate to other Nigerians in pidgin”. While standard English might give politicians and businesspeople a global advantage, Pidgin English is helpful in uniting all classes.
Like other former colonies of Britain or the U.S., Nigeria has a complicated relationship with the English language. They were introduced to it partially through trade but also by missionaries trying to enforce their beliefs upon them and colonizers exploiting and controlling them. They developed a pidgin initially to allow communication for trade and later with colonizers; they mixed standard English with elements of other European languages they were exposed to as well as unique elements of their many indigenous languages. Today, English has some advantages in Nigeria as it unites people who come from many different linguistic and ethnic backgrounds within the country, and also allows for business and media enjoyment with other nations. However, English still has an oppressive feel for some people, and it takes part in minimizing and even erasing regional languages. Furthermore, there is conflict between standard English, which may be pronounced somewhat differently by Nigerians but is otherwise very similar to the standard English of the U.K. or U.S., and the pidgin, which can be seen as broken or incorrect English despite its conventions and popularity.
A Problem Of English Language in Nigeria. (2024, Feb 12). Retrieved from https://studymoose.com/a-problem-of-english-language-in-nigeria-essay
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