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Listening to Nigeria’s kind of English Language may be very interesting to foreigners especially those that the Language make their first Language. It is therefore for this reason that foreigners to the country are left marveling after physically communicating with us Nigerians. Foreigners to Nigeria may expectedly become thrilled by what has come to be labeled the Nigerian English. After all, if the American English, British English, Australian English, South African English among numerous others exists, it is not strange to hear the “Nigerian English”

 

The Nigerian English appears to encompass pidgin and even our dynamic cultures packed together as one language. This is so because usually linguists are of the opinion that speakers of foreign languages first, do mental reasoning in certain languages, which truly engage them before articulating their thoughts expressly. Firstly we need to understand that English remains the official language of the country and widely used for education, business transactions and for other official purposes too. English may be considered to as first language, which however remains an exclusive preserve of a small minority of the country’s urban elite, and not spoken at in some rural areas (See Nigeria from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia) but everywhere you go hear English spoken by Nigerians.

 

Lenka Benova supposedly an American national records that on her first day in Nigeria, an Insurance Representative came in to discuss something and as he was leaving she was called “Sista” and Jim another guy was also referred to as “Sir”. Lenka was thrilled and she needed to find out how “Sir” and “Sista” could become a title or even names. She however concluded that these could have been used for lack of better words but she was taken aback when better explanation came from one of her female colleagues, Isabelle who offered her a more preferable explanation to the effect that she was even luck she was referred to as “Sista”. In Nigeria, she explained young ladies below 30 years of age are addressed as “Sister” while older ones are called “Aunties” a sign you are getting older. Lenka, our American guest expressed delight on being respectfully addressed as “Sister”, an indication that she was considered a young lady. She continued to find glory in this until one day; at a market someone called her “Aunty” and Lenka felt bad.

 

Again in Nigeria, you get “You are welcome” free of charge even without saying “Thank you”.  Ordinarily a white man would say “Thank You” and in response receive “You are welcome” Nigeria’s model of “You are welcome” welcomes you to any particular place. So in our own kind of English We say, “you are welcome to work”, “You are welcome to Nigeria”, “You are welcome to my parish”, “You are welcome on board” etc. Our “Oyibo” guest was excited indeed.

 

Our guest in a couple of days in Nigeria thought we Nigerians were just plain rude to ourselves. The Nigerian English recognizes commanding tone. For instance, rather than say, “Could you be as good as to count that money”, a Nigerian simply says, “Count that money”, “Bring beer”, “Give me a plate of rice” and a child tells his mom, “Leave the way”. Lenka thought that long sentences were just too hot for Nigerians to utilize. Lenka was later made to understand that the Nigerian native languages are lacking in words like “Excuse me”, “Sorry” as it regards “Excuse”, “pardon me, “sorry?”

 

A Nigerian while he has not yet left you rather than say, “I will be right back” amazingly tells you “I’m coming” which ordinarily is unheard off in public places. Another thrilling aspect of the Nigerian English is repetition of words. You commonly hear a Nigerian tell you “Do it “NOW NOW”, “I love that lady VERY VERY well”, “Do it fast fast”.

 

Lenka must have wondered why it was so though she was made to understand that it achieves desired effects. A possible reason for this is that again certain of our native languages are characterized by repetitive words. A perfect example of these are “kia kia” (Quickly) in Yoruba and Hausa usage, “wa wa”, Omo omo (Infant) “Kita Kita” (If literarily explained “NOW NOW”) in Igbo. “Nna Nna” Father of father (Igbo) “Nsi Nsi” (Still now now in Yoruba) However, I wish someone had told her that repetition of a word such as “now now” compels Nigerians to act faster and their responses, though she would understand this even without being told.

 

A Nigerian may for instance refer to a fraudster as “Dupe” rather than the victim of such. “The Angel you know is better than the Devil you don’t know” in Nigeria becomes “The Devil you know is better than the angel you don’t know”. What more do you expect? “Oyibo” christened our beloved country “Nigeria” we re-christened it “Naija” and come to think of it “Naija” sounds more beautiful than the so-called “Nigeria”.

 

A knock at your door in Nigeria welcomes the response “Yes” The first day I sounded it in the presence of my Jake, my Nigerian born British cousin, he fell about much to my surprise. My neighbor would worsen this situation when at another time she also heard a knock at her door he she screamed “E -n -t -e –r” with a loud voice and our foreign visitor again this time went rolling on the floor. Wonder he was later to tell us. From then on he would also cry e n t e r whenever he heard a knock at our own door. 

 

Jake while in Nigeria had told me severally that Nigerians were rude in their responses to enquiries and complaints but innocently I maintained that Nigerians especially the Yoruba are respectfully, being blessed with particular greetings for every kind of occasion and beautifully, respectfully and traditionally raised on when to bow or prostrate to greet elders. Jake would engage me in arguments on this matter pointing out certain social anomalies until one day, at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, while he was leaving we accosted one Nigerian official and he inquired on where to confirm his ticket, the simple response we heard was “Just go there” as he pointed, Jake looked at me in utter disappointment. Not knowing the exact place the Nigerian official pointed, our journey landed us to the very wrong man whom when inquired from said “Oya see that man in white, both of you should go to him immediate” he said this as he immediately turned to another man and also quickly said “Oga follow those your brothers”. Jake took another cursory look at me as we made haste to beat the time, a look that exactly reminded of an argument, which I had clearly lost trying to make a case for my fellow countrymen.

 

I was not as disappointed when Jake was about to finally leave asked me what ethnic-nationalities those men we had made inquiries from were and I simply answered him Nigerians knowing that one of them was a Yoruba man the other I could not tell. He smiled as he waved me goodbye.

 

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