Nigerian Pidgin now language Global Franca – Don

Christine Iyetunde Ofulue said that a professor of linguistics at the National Open University of Nigeria (noun) Iyetunde Ofulue said that the Nigerian Pidgin is rapidly growing globally due to its exceptional scale and scope.

This was stated on Tuesday while delivering the 35th inaugural lesson of the University on the theme, “to claim marginalized voices: intersections of diversity and educational spaces”.

Ofulue, a teacher of the Faculty of Arts said that all languages ​​are the same. According to her, Nigeria is the most linguistically diversified nation of Africa, with about 540 distinct languages ​​in three main families of languages: Afro-Asian, Nilo-Saharan and Niger-congo spoken by over 223 million people.

“This diversity means that multilingualism is not only common, but a way of life. The Nigerians regularly navigate fluidly among local, regional and national languages,” he said.

He argued that while English is at the top of the hierarchy as a language of education and formal administration, many minority languages ​​face danger, abandonment of politics and decrease in the intergenerational transmission, marking a clear division between basic linguistic realities and official recognition.

The professor explained that at the center of this linguistic panorama is the Nigerian Pidgin, a vibrant result of secular contacts, trade and multicultural adaptation.

He said that among the 76 Pidgin and Creoli in the world, the Nigerian Pidgin is exceptional for its scale and brought.

“It is spoken of 100-120 million people, making it the fourteenth more spoken language globally,” he said.

He claimed that he evolved from a commercial code of the colonial era in a frank language of Pan-Nigerian, to the daily communication service, creative expression and social bond, symbolizing urban identity and national belonging.

“The journey of the Nigerian Pidgin is not only a story of marginalization, but also of resilience and claim,” he said.

Ofoolue explained that it is a testimony of the ability of daily Nigeria to forge units and voice through the borders, even if it remains excluded from many formal domains.

On the recovery of marginalized voices, he said that this can be achieved through a robust, strategic and local level research program that builds learning analysis systems that generate usable data, digitizing indigenous knowledge systems and undertaking comparative studies in African contexts.

The teacher stressed that the implications of small language marginalization are that without resolved intervention, it would continue to be excluded from education, digital spaces and economic opportunities.

Therefore, it has recommended interventions that can promote the development of language in marginalized languages ​​some of which include the standardization of terminology, the development of glossaries for digital, technical and educational fields through partnerships for expert users and promotion of multimedia content, which includes accessible and engaging supports of audio-patient content in indigenous languages ​​to meet students in digital spaces.

The deputy chief, Prof Olufermi in Peters, thanked Ofoolue for reminding everyone of the importance of the Nigerian pidgin.

He then spoke to Pidgin as he greeted the professor for a good lesson, drawing applause animated by the vast audience.

In a vote of thanks, the deputy vice -challenge, professor (administration) Isaac Butswat, thanked Ofulue for educating the public on how the Nigerian Pidgin evolved.