Nigerian Pidgin English

Nigerian Pidgin, also called Naija Pidgin is an English-based creole language spoken as a lingua franca across Nigeria. The language is sometimes referred to as “Pijin” or Broken (pronounced “Brokin”). It can be spoken as a pidgin, a creole, slang or a Decreolised acrolect by different speakers, who may switch between these forms depending on the social setting.  A common orthography has been developed for Pidgin which has been gaining significant popularity in giving the language a harmonized writing system.

Nigerian Pidgin is commonly used throughout the country, but it has not been granted official status. Pidgin breaks the communication barrier between different ethnic groups and it is widely spoken throughout Nigeria.