Top 8 Most Spoken Languages in Nigeria
Nigeria is a country in West Africa with a population of over 200 million people. The country is home to a wide variety of languages, with over 500 different languages spoken. However, the eight most spoken languages in Nigeria are:
- Igbo: 40 million speakers
- Hausa: 25 million speakers
- Yoruba: 21 million speakers
- Fulani: 20 million speakers
- Ijaw: 15 million speakers
- Kanuri: 8 million speakers
- Tiv: 6 million speakers
- Ibibio: 6 million speakers
These languages are spoken by the majority of the population of Nigeria. They are also the official languages of the country.
Igbo
Igbo is the most spoken language in Nigeria, with over 40 million speakers. It is spoken mainly in the southeastern part of the country, in the states of Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu, and Imo. Igbo is a tonal language, which means that the pitch of the voice can change the meaning of a word. It is also a verb-subject-object language, which means that the verb comes before the subject and the object.
Hausa
Hausa is the second most spoken language in Nigeria, with over 25 million speakers. It is spoken mainly in the northern part of the country, in the states of Bauchi, Borno, Kano, Katsina, Kaduna, Kebbi, Sokoto, and Yobe. Hausa is a non-tonal language, which means that the pitch of the voice does not change the meaning of a word. It is also a subject-verb-object language, which means that the subject comes before the verb and the object.
Yoruba
Yoruba is the third most spoken language in Nigeria, with over 21 million speakers. It is spoken mainly in the southwestern part of the country, in the states of Ekiti, Lagos, Ogun, Ondo, Osun, and Oyo. Yoruba is a tonal language, which means that the pitch of the voice can change the meaning of a word. It is also a subject-verb-object language, which means that the subject comes before the verb and the object.
Fulani
Fulani is the fourth most spoken language in Nigeria, with over 20 million speakers. It is spoken mainly in the central and northern parts of the country, in the states of Adamawa, Benue, Cross River, Kwara, Niger, Plateau, and Taraba. Fulani is a non-tonal language, which means that the pitch of the voice does not change the meaning of a word. It is also a subject-verb-object language, which means that the subject comes before the verb and the object.
Ijaw
Ijaw is the fifth most spoken language in Nigeria, with over 15 million speakers. It is spoken mainly in the southern part of the country, in the states of Bayelsa, Delta, and Rivers. Ijaw is a tonal language, which means that the pitch of the voice can change the meaning of a word. It is also a verb-subject-object language, which means that the verb comes before the subject and the object.
Kanuri
Kanuri is the sixth most spoken language in Nigeria, with over 8 million speakers. It is spoken mainly in the northeastern part of the country, in the states of Borno, Yobe, and Adamawa. Kanuri is a non-tonal language, which means that the pitch of the voice does not change the meaning of a word. It is also a subject-verb-object language, which means that the subject comes before the verb and the object.
Tiv
Tiv is the seventh most spoken language in Nigeria, with over 6 million speakers. It is spoken mainly in the central part of the country, in the states of Benue and Taraba. Tiv is a tonal language, which means that the pitch of the voice can change the meaning of a word. It is also a subject-verb-object language, which means that the subject comes before the verb and the object.
Ibibio
Ibibio is the eighth most spoken language in Nigeria, with over 6 million speakers. It is primarily spoken in the southeastern part of the country, specifically in the states of Akwa Ibom and Cross River. Ibibio is a tonal language, wherein the pitch of the voice can alter the meaning of a word. It follows a subject-verb-object word order, where the subject comes before the verb and the object.
It’s important to note that these eight languages are not the only ones spoken in Nigeria. Other popular languages include Igala, Idoma, and Nupe. The country has a rich linguistic diversity, with over 500 different languages spoken, which reflects its cultural and historical heritage.
Sources for this post:
- Population and linguistic diversity of Nigeria:
- CIA World Factbook: “Nigeria.” (https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/nigeria/)
- Ethnologue: “Languages of Nigeria.” (https://www.ethnologue.com/country/NG/languages)
2. Specific language statistics:
- Ethnologue: Look up each language individually for data on speakers, regions, and linguistic features. For example, search “Igbo language” or “Hausa language” on Ethnologue. (https://www.ethnologue.com/)
3. Language features and word order:
- Consult linguistic references or scholarly works on each language for information about tonality, word order, and other linguistic features.
