![]() The language is called Pidgin, or Broken. But wheat you hear students gossiping, it is not in proper British English or deep Yoruba. They learn Tiv or Igala in the classroom, just like they learn math and science, and of course if their parents speak something other than English at home, they will speak that. The numbers are diminishing, but youth still hear their native languages. From the time kids start primary school they are learning and speaking English. So how does a Urhobo man from Delta state converse with a man who speaks Edo ? English is the official language of Nigeria because of British colonial rule. ![]() 521 languages in one country about double the size of Texas, amazing. Apart from the most prominent–Igbo, Hausa, Yoruba and English languages–521 other languages exist that have significant numbers of speakers. Hundreds of languages are spoken in Nigeria. Sadly, despite the widespread use of NPE, it is yet to be given any official approval. It is estimated that Nigerian Pidgin English is the native language of approximately 3 to 5 million people and is a second language for at least another 75 million. Nigerian Pidgin English is a version of English and ethnic Nigerian languages spoken as a kind of lingua franca across Nigeria and is referred to simply as “Pidgin”, “Broken English” or “Broken”. However, Nigerian Pidgin English (NPE) has gained considerable acceptance as an unofficial second language. ![]() Nigeria's linguistic diversity is a microcosm of Africa as a whole, encompassing three major African languages families: Afroasiatic, Nilo-Saharan, and Niger–Congo. Hausa, Igbo, Yoruba, Ibibio, Edo, Fulfula and Kanuri. The other major languages spoken in Nigeria are: However, the official language is English. Image released to Creative CommonsThere are over 500 indigenous languages currently spoken in Nigeria. A linguistic map of Nigeria, Cameroon, and Benin. ![]()
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