The Oxford English Dictionary (OED) has expanded its lexicon with the inclusion of several Nigerian words and expressions in its latest update, underscoring the growing global influence of Nigerian and West African culture on the English language.
The update, published in December 2025 and carried into 2026, was officially announced by the OED this week as part of its quarterly review.
According to the dictionary’s editors, the update introduced over 500 new words, phrases, and meanings, while more than 1,000 existing entries were revised.
A significant number of the new additions are drawn from Nigerian and West African English, spanning food, music, everyday speech, markets, pop culture, and social expressions.
Speaking on the update, Catherine Sangster, OED Head of Pronunciations, said the revision reflects the evolving ways English is spoken across different regions of the world.
She noted that the dictionary continues to expand its pronunciation models and now includes enhanced audio recordings for several West African English entries.
Among the newly added Nigerian expressions is “abeg,” described as an interjection or adverb used to express emotions such as surprise, disbelief, appeal, or exasperation.
Another entry is “amala,” defined as a Nigerian staple food made from yam, cassava, or unripe plantain flour, typically served with soup.
The dictionary also formally recognises Afrobeats, defining it as a genre of popular music rooted in West African sounds and influenced by jazz, soul, and funk.
Other Nigerian and West African expressions newly admitted into the OED include:
Ghana Must Go
biko
Mammy Market
nyash
Moi Moi
The update also features additional African words widely used across the region, including:
abrokyire
Adowa
ampesi
benachin
bichir
domoda
dumboy
hiplife
kpanlogo
light soup
nawetan
obroni
poda-poda
yassa
This expansion builds on a previous update in which the OED added 20 Nigerian words, including widely used terms such as japa, agbero, eba, 419, abi, Naija, suya, yahoo, area boy, kobo, jand, janded, and cross-carpeting.
Language experts say the growing presence of Nigerian expressions in the Oxford English Dictionary reflects Nigeria’s expanding cultural footprint through music, migration, digital media, and everyday global interactions.
