The Oxford English Dictionary (OED) added 20 Nigerian words and phrases in its December 2024 update.
This addition reflect the influence of Nigerian Pidgin, street slang, and cultural expressions gaining global recognition. Some of the terms, like “japa” and “jand,” have been included as both nouns and verbs.
- Japa: A term that refers to Nigerians emigrating, especially to Europe or North America, for education or economic opportunity
- Agbero: A young person who works as a tout, collecting money from passengers at bus stops and car parks
- 419: A term for fraud, often involving internet scams, where victims are asked for advance payment in return for a promised large sum of money
- Eba: A Nigerian word
- Abi: A Nigerian word
- Area boy: A Nigerian word
- Yahoo boy: A Nigerian word
- Yahoo: A Nigerian word
- Edo: A Nigerian word
- Kanuri: A Nigerian word
- Jand: A Nigerian word
- Cross-carpet: A Nigerian word
- Kobo: A Nigerian word
- Naija: A Nigerian word
- Suya: A Nigerian word
- Yarn Dust: A Nigerian word
- Janded: (adjective)
- Adire: A Nigerian word
- Gele: A Nigerian word
Kingsley Ugwuanyi, a Nigerian English consultant to the OED, shared the exciting news on LinkedIn, revealing that he played a key role in drafting the words and recording their pronunciations.
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