Top 10 Most Spoken Languages In Nigeria (2022)

Nigeria which is the giant of Africa has numerous languages that are mostly spoken in the country. These languages help in making communication, interaction, business, news, entertainment, and so on easier for people.

However, Nigeria has over 200 languages they use but this article will focus on just the top 10 most spoken languages.

A lot of people are confused about what Nigeria most spoken languages are and this is because of the fact that Nigeria has so many languages.

Moreover, the list of the Top 10 Most Spoken Languages in Nigeria has some languages used in Nigeria, Africa, and the World.

Furthermore, the table below shows the top 10 most spoken languages and the number of native speakers.

1. English

English is the first official language and the most spoken language in Nigeria. The language is officially used as the first language in Nigeria after it became official as a result of the Colonial Rule.

However, English is a Nigerian Lingua Franca that is used in the Government sector, educational sector, religion sector, business sector, etc.

Also, it is used in Urban areas and in the lower areas of the country mostly by educated people.

Moreover, English makes communication easier in the country.

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2. Nigerian Pidgin

The second on the list of the most spoken languages in Nigeria is Nigerian Pidgin. It is a common language that almost all the people in Nigeria both educated and non-educated speak.

Even some foreigners in Nigeria now use the language because it makes one belong irrespective of your social status.

According to Wikipedia, A pidgin, or pidgin language, is a grammatically simplified means of communication that develops between two or more groups of people that do not have a language in common. Typically, its vocabulary and grammar are limited and often drawn from several languages.

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3. Hausa

In Nigeria, Hausa is considered one of Nigeria’s most spoken official languages. The language is not only spoken in Nigeria but also in some other African continents like Burkina Faso, Benin, Cameroon, Germany, Chad, CAR, Eritrea, and so on.

The language is used mostly by the Hausa people which constitute northwestern parts of Nigeria.

Hausa is considered one of the most advanced languages in Africa as a whole. It is the only Nigerian language that has a foreign broadcast station.

However, the Hausa Language uses Boko, and the Latin alphabet is among the most spoken languages in Africa.

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4. Igbo

Igbo is a language spoken in Nigeria commonly used in the eastern part of the country. The language gained prominence from Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart.

Most Igbo speakers are bilingual for it is the primary literature taught in Nigerian Schools.

Moreover, Igbo is considered one of the largest Ethnic groups in Africa with over 20 million speakers with more than 20 dialects.

Furthermore, many Igbo speakers can be found in Cameroon and other African countries, which made it among the most spoken languages in Africa.

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5. Yoruba

Yoruba is a language in Nigeria mostly spoken by the Southwestern part of Nigeria. It is not just among the most spoken languages in Nigeria but also one of the most spoken languages in Africa.

The language is used as a means of business and other interaction in Nigeria and some west African countries.

Currently, it is used by over 20 million speakers and this made it among the top list of the most used languages in Nigeria.

Moreover, there are some other countries parts speak Yoruba but not as their main language. Some of these countries include Benin, Togo, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Sierra Leone, and so on.

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6. Fulfulde

Fulfulde is a language spoken in west Africa but mainly in Nigeria. The language is among Nigerian official languages used in the country by mostly Fulbe people also known as Fulanis.

Besides, it is a branch of Nigeria Congo languages that are mostly used inner Niger delta areas.

However, Fulfulde is also referred to as Fula or Fulani and is among the most spoken languages in Nigeria.

7. Kanuri

On the list of the top 10, most spoken languages in Nigeria is Kanuri, a language that over 20,000 residents in Nigeria speak as their second language.

Though the language is spoken mostly by the dominant ethnic group of Borno province, it is a Nigerian official language.

However, the language is used by more than 3 million people. Users of this language are referred to as “Beri-beri” by the Hausa, but they seldom use the term themselves

8. Ijaw

In Nigeria today, more than 1 million people speak Ijaw and this made it to be on this list.

However, Ijaw Ijaw is a language spoken by Izon people in southern Nigeria. The language is also referred to as the Ijo language and is mainly used by the Niger Delta region of Nigeria.

Another part of Nigeria that speaks Ijaw is Bayelsa, Rivers, Ondo, and Ekiti.

9. Tiv

Among the most spoken languages in Nigeria is Tiv, a language spoken mainly in the north-central part of Nigeria. However, the largest population of Tiv speakers is found in Benue state in Nigeria.

Apart from Nigeria, part of Cameroon also speak Tiv. Consequently, some other states in Nigeria that speak Tiv in Nigeria include Plateau and Taraba.

10. Ibibio

Rounding off the list of the top 10 most spoken languages in Nigeria is Ibibio, a native language used by some parts of Nigeria.

According to Wikipedia Ibibio is the native language of the Ibibio people belonging to the Ibibio-Efik dialect cluster of the Cross River languages.

In fact, the name Ibibio is sometimes used for the entire dialect cluster.

Ibibio is always used by mainly three states in Nigeria which consist of Akwa Ibom State and Abia State, Nigeria.

Below is the graphical representation of the most spoken languages in Nigeria:

Summary of the Most Spoken Languages in Nigeria

With this article, one can see that Nigeria is one of the countries that have many diverse languages and this makes it among the most linguistically varied countries in the world.

As a result, Nigerian diverse languages brought Nigeria to the spotlight and made them appear on the list of countries with the most spoken languages in the world.

• English
• Nigerian Pidgin
• Hausa
• Igbo
• Yoruba
• Fulfulde
• Kanuri
• Ijaw
• Tiv
• Ibibio