Nigerian Pidgin, also called Naijá or Naija, is an English-based creole language spoken as a lingua franca in Nigeria.
The language is sometimes referred to as “Pijin” or Broken
When popular broadcaster Tracy ‘Suo’ Chapele finished her English and Literature degree programme at the University of Benin, she was not aware her career in broadcasting would be kick-started by her ability to speak the Nigerian Pidgin effortlessly.
was more difficult to break through despite having a degree in English and Literature. But people seem to like how I sound when I express myself in my most basic form.”
The basic form she referred to is the Nigerian Pidgin, which is gaining more traction in the Nigerian media.
More than just Wazobia
In 2017, the BBC World Service started Pidgin digital platforms for its West and Central African audience. Ten years before, Wazobia FM, a radio station owned by Global Communications Limited, began broadcasting in Nigerian Pidgin.
Hitherto, the language had played bit-part roles on television and radio stations in Nigeria which were dominated by the English language and major local languages such as Yoruba, Hausa, and Igbo.
Wazobia, Nigeria’s most popular indigenous radio station, sees millions of listeners tune in every day from Nigeria, surrounding countries and the diaspora. The station uses Pidgin as a medium to reach and engage with people from across the country, irrespective of their class, educational background or language, a feature that accounts for its success.
In fact, Wazobia was listed among the top three radio stations in Nigeria based on audience share as of Q4 of 2017. A GeoPoll report said the station was number one at the end of Q1 of the same year with 9.6% of the audience share.
Three years after Wazobia FM began operations, another radio station – Naija FM – debuted in Lagos on October 1, 2010, and has now spread its presence to Ibadan and Port Harcourt. Others such as Correct FM and Kpoko FM that came after Naija FM are also enjoying a level of acceptance.
