The Nigerian English language Brand and the Evolutionary Trend: A Quest for global recognition

Abstract

Nigeria, like any other English speaking countries of the world, uses the English language in her everyday communication. In fact, English is the official language of Nigeria. It is the colouration of this brand of English which is constantly evolving that gives it the name “Nigerian Englishâ€. This paper investigates these colourations and makes strong argument that those varieties give the language its peculiarities and should not be seen as defects but rather as a brand that needs global recognition. The stand of this paper is that those ‘perceived flaws’ should not be strong enough to deny Nigerian English its pride of place in the common wealth of nations since the important aspect of communication which is meaning is not lost. Since language reflects the culture of the people, it will be out of place for the learning of the British English which came after the first language acquisition to be the grand norm for speakers and writers of English. These various nuances make up what is known as the Nigerian English brand, which in turn, enhances the evolutionary trend of the language. The study recommends documentation of this brand to enhance its global recognition.