Nigeria is likely one of the most linguistically numerous nations on this planet, with over 500 languages spoken throughout its areas.
Regardless of Nigeria’s multilingual nature, English is the official language. It’s utilized in governance, schooling, media, and enterprise. Kids be taught of their native languages in the course of the early years of college, however English turns into the primary medium of instruction afterwards. As of 2019, 72% of younger girls and 78% of younger males had been literate in English.
Whereas English stays the official language and the medium of schooling, the heartbeat of Nigeria lies in its indigenous tongues. In accordance with a 2022 survey by Statista, the first languages spoken in Nigeria are Hausa, Yoruba, and English.
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Round 32% of respondents declared Hausa as their family language, 17% Yoruba, and 13% Igbo. English adopted at 7%, whereas different languages like Ibibio, Fulani, Tiv, Nupe, Pidgin English, and Ijaw additionally appeared amongst family tongues.
In accordance with Ethnologue, round 512 languages are spoken in Nigeria. Nevertheless, there’s ongoing debate about whether or not some varieties ought to be categorised as dialects or full languages. Linguists clarify that if two speech kinds are mutually comprehensible, they’re dialects of the identical language.
If comprehension is tough or not possible, they’re categorised as distinct languages. This explains why the whole variety of Nigerian languages generally differs in reviews.
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The Most Spoken Languages in Nigeria
Primarily based on the picture information and surveys, right here’s the proportion of people that primarily communicate these languages at dwelling:
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Hausa – 31.5%
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Yoruba – 17.2%
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Different Nigerian languages – 13%
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Igbo – 12.9%
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English – 7.2%
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Ibibio – 1.8%
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Efik – 1.6%
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Pidgin English – 1.6%
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Urhobo – 1.5%
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Fulani – 1.4%
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Igala – 1.2%
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Bura – 1.1%
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Nupe – 1%
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Ijaw – 1%
Hausa dominates as essentially the most extensively spoken dwelling language, notably in Northern Nigeria. Yoruba follows strongly, frequent within the South-West. Igbo, whereas vital, ranks under Yoruba. English displays urbanisation and its position as Nigeria’s lingua franca, and different languages present simply what number of smaller ethnic languages are nonetheless preserved in Nigerian households.
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Complete Record of Nigerian Languages
Right here’s a broad checklist of Nigerian languages. This isn’t exhaustive however consists of most of the most recognised:
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