Nigeria boasts a rich linguistic landscape with over 520 native languages spoken within its borders. This diversity mirrors much of Africa and includes languages from the three major African language families: Afroasiatic, Nilo-Saharan, and Niger-Congo.
Map of Nigeria with its 6 geopolitical zones
English: The Official Language
The official language is English, a legacy of Colonial Nigeria. English is the single most widely spoken language in Nigeria, used by 60 million of the population. It remains the major language of communication in government, business, and education. The national anthem, constitution, and pledge are written in English.
English is the main lingua franca of the country, and there is a growing number of sole English speakers due to rapid urbanization and globalization. Despite its status, English is not widely spoken in rural areas. Many Nigerians struggle with English, evidenced by the 60 percent fail rate of the WASSCE in English (May/June 2015), an important exam certificate.
Major Native Languages
The most commonly spoken native languages are:
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- Hausa (over 63 million speakers including L2 speakers)
- Yoruba (over 47 million speakers including L2 speakers)
- Igbo (over 46 million speakers including L2 speakers)
- Ibibio (over 10 million speakers including L2 speakers)
- Ijaw cluster (over 5 million)
- Fulfulde (18 million)
- Kanuri (7.6 million)
- Tiv (5 million)
- Nupe, Karai-Karai, Kupa, Kakanda, Edo, Igala, Mafa, Idoma and Efik (approximately 2 to 3 million each)
Hausa has emerged as a lingua franca throughout much of West Africa, and the Sahel in particular. It is classified as a West Chadic language of the Chadic grouping, a major subfamily of Afroasiatic.
The Afroasiatic Languages
The Afroasiatic languages of Nigeria are divided into Chadic, Semitic, and Berber. Chadic languages predominate, with more than 700 languages. Hausa is the best known Chadic language in Nigeria; though there is a paucity of statistics on native speakers in Nigeria, the language is spoken by 24 million people in West Africa and is the second language of 15 million more.
Hausa is a very atypical Chadic language, with a reduced tonal system and a phonology influenced by Arabic. Other well-known Chadic languages include Mupun, Ngas, Goemai, Mwaghavul, Bole, Ngizim, Bade and Bachama. In the East of Nigeria and on into Cameroon are the Central Chadic languages such as Bura, Kamwe and Margi. Many Chadic languages are severely threatened.
The Niger-Congo Languages
Niger-Congo predominates in the Central, East and Southern areas of Nigeria; the main branches represented in Nigeria are Mande, Atlantic, Gur, Kwa, Benue-Congo and Adamawa-Ubangi.
The Ijoid languages are spoken across the Niger Delta region and include Ịjọ (Ijaw), Kalabari, and the intriguing remnant language Defaka. The Ibibio language is spoken across the coastal southeastern part of Nigeria and includes the dialects Oron, Annang, and Efik proper. The Adamawa-Ubangian languages are spoken across a region spanning central Nigeria to the Central African Republic. In Nigeria, the westernmost languages of this group are the Tula-Waja languages.
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Within the Benue-Congo languages, the expansive Bantu language family which covers much of central and southern Africa is represented in Nigeria by Jarawa. The geographic distribution of Nigeria's Niger-Congo languages is not limited to the middle east and south-central Nigeria, as migration allows their spread to the linguistically Afro-Asiatic northern regions of Nigeria, as well as throughout West Africa and abroad.
Even the above listed linguistic diversity of the Niger-Congo in Nigeria is deceptively limiting, as these languages may further consist of regional dialects that may not be mutually intelligible. As such some languages, particularly those with a large number of speakers, have been standardized and received a romanized orthography. The Ibibio, Igbo, and Yoruba languages are notable examples of this process.
The Rise of Pidgin
Pidgin, first used by British and African slavers to facilitate the Atlantic slave trade in the late 17th century, has replaced the native language for many Nigerians.
Many Nigerians hold negative social attitudes towards the country's native languages, combining to lead to the neglect of Nigeria's many native languages.
Spanish Language Education in Nigeria
While not a native language, Spanish is gaining prominence in certain educational settings in Nigeria. For example, at the American International School of Lagos, students have the opportunity to choose Spanish as a language of study. This allows students to take ownership of their language learning experience.
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Here is a table summarizing the key languages and their approximate speaker numbers in Nigeria:
| Language | Approximate Number of Speakers (Millions) |
|---|---|
| English | 60 |
| Hausa (including L2) | 63 |
| Yoruba (including L2) | 47 |
| Igbo (including L2) | 46 |
| Ibibio (including L2) | 10 |
| Fulfulde | 18 |
| Kanuri | 7.6 |
In addition, French is compulsory in all schools.
A Day in the Life of a Nigerian Teacher in Spain
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