Languages of Nigeria

Nigeria has over 520 languages. The major local languages include Yoruba, Hausa, and Igbo. English is the official language, and Nigerian Pidgin is the most widely spoken language.

 List of languages 
This is a list of languages spoken in Nigeria. Note that this list is not complete.

 S/NLanguage Other namesNumber of speakers Native speakersStates spoken in Current status Language Varieties (Dialects)1AbanyomAbanyum, Befun, Bofon, Mbofon13,000Cross RiverActive2Nigerian Pidgin EnglishBroken. Pidgin80,200,000All States2AbonAbong, Abõ, Ba'ban1,000Taraba3AbuaOdual, Abuan25,000Rivers4AbureniMini4,000Bayelsa5AchipaAchipawa5,000Kebbi6AdimCross River7Aduge30,000Anambra8AdunCross River9AfadeAffade, Afadeh, Afada, Kotoko, MogaBorno, Yobe10AfoPlateau11AfrikeAfrerikpe60,000Cross River12AjawaAja, AjanciBauchiExtinct13Akaju-NdemAkajukCross RiverActive14Akweya-YachiBenue15AlagoAragoPlateau16Amo17Anaguta18Annang1,000,000Akwa Ibom19Angas368,000Bauchi, Jigawa, Plateau20AnkweiPlateau21ArabicChadian Arabic also known as Shuwa Arabic265,000265,000Borno by Shuwa Arabs22AnyimaCross River23ArumNasarawa24AttakarAtakaKaduna25AuyokaAuyokawa, Auyakawa, AwiakaJigawa26AworiLagos, Ogun27AyuKaduna28BaburAdamawa, Bomo, Taraba, Yobe29BachamaAdamawa30BachereCross River31BadaPlateau32BadeYobe33BakulungTaraba34Bali35BamboraBambarawaBauchi36BambukoTaraba37BandaBandawa38BankaBankalawaBauchi39BansoPansoAdamawa40BaraBarawaBauchi41Barke42BarubaBarbaNiger43BashiriBashirawaPlateau44BasaKaduna, Kogi, Niger, Plateau45BattaAdamawa46BaushiNiger47BayaAdamawa48BekwarraCross River49BeleBuli, BelewaBauchi50BetsoBeteTaraba51BetteCross River52BileiAdamawa Rivers53Bille40,00054BinaBinawaKaduna55BiniEdo56BiromPlateau57BobuaTaraba58BokiNkiCross River59BokkosPlateau60BokoBussawa, BargawaNiger61BoleBolewaBauchi, Yobe62BotlereAdamawa63BomaBomawa, BurmanoBauchi64Bomboro65BudumaBorno, Niger66BujiPlateau67BuliBauchi68BunuKogi69BuraBura-PabirBorno, Adamawa, Yobe70BurakBauchi71BurmaBurmawaPlateau72BuruYobe73ButaButawaBauchi74BwallPlateau75BwatiyeAdamawa76Bwazza77ChallaPlateau78ChamaChamawa FitilaiBauchi79ChambaChamba Daka, Chamba LekoAdamawa, Taraba280ChamoBauchi81CibakChibbak, ChibokBorno82ChinineBorno83ChipPlateau84Chokobo85ChukkolTaraba86CipuWestern Acipa20,000Kebbi, Niger87DabaAdamawa88DadiyaBauchi89DakaAdamawa90DakarkariNiger, Kebbi91DandaDandawaKebbi92DangsaTaraba93DazaDere, DerewaBauchi94DegemaRivers95DenoDenawaBauchi96Dghwede30,000Borno97DibaTaraba98DoemakDumukPlateau99DuguriBauchi100DukaDukawaKebbi101DumaDumawaBauchi102EbanaEbaniRivers103EbirraIgbirra1,000,000Edo, Kogi, Ondo104EbuEdo, Kogi, Delta (Anioma)105EfikCross River106EgbemaRivers, Imo107EggonPlateau108EgunGùnLagos, Ogun109EjaghamJaghamCross River110Ekajuk111EketAkwa Ibom112EkoiCross River113EkpeyeEkpe yeRivers114EngenniNgene115Epie116English178,000,00040,000,0004117EsanIshanEdo118EtcheRivers119EtoluEtiloBenue120EtsakoAfenmaiEdo121EtungCross River122EtunoEdo123FalliAdamawa124French1,000,000200,000Bordering states of Nigeria125FulaFulani, Fulbe, Fulfulde20,000,00018,000,000Adamawa, Bauchi, Borno, Gombe, Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Niger, Sokoto, Taraba, Yobe7126FyamFyemPlateau127FyerFer128Ga’andaAdamawa129GadeNiger130GalambiBauchi131GamerguMulgwa, Malgo, MalgwaBorno132GanawuriQanawuriPlateau133GavakoBorno134GbeddeKogi135GboAgbo, LegboCross River136GengleTaraba137GejiBauchi138GeraGere, Gerawa139GerumaGerumawaBauchi, Plateau140GingwakBauchi141GiraAdamawa142Gizigz143GoernaiKaduna144Gong100,000Plateau145GokanaKanaRivers146GombiAdamawa147GornunGmunTaraba148Gonia149Gubi Gubawa Bauchi150GudeAdamawa151Gudu152GureKaduna153GurmanaNiger154GururntumBauchi155GusuPlateau156GwaGurawaAdamawa157Gwamba158GwandaraKaduna, Niger, Plateau159GwariGbariKaduna, Niger, FCT, Nasarawa,Kogi160GwomTaraba161Gwoza40,000Borno162GyemBauchi163Hausa63,000,00038,700,000Bauchi, Borno, Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano, Kastina, Kebbi, Niger, Taraba, Sokoto, Zamfara9164HumonoKohumonoCross River165HolmaAdamawa166Hona167HyamHam, Jaba, JabbaKaduna168IbenoAkwa Ibom169Ibibio10,700,0006,200,000Akwa Ibom, Cross River170IchenAdamawa171IdomaBenue, Taraba172IgalaKogi, Benue, Delta, Anambra173Igbo31,000,00031,000,000Abia, Anambra, Delta, Ebonyi, Enugu, Imo, Rivers3174IgedeEgedeBenue175IjawIzon2,440,0002,440,000Bayelsa, Rivers, Delta, Ondo, Akwa-Ibom176IjumuKogi176IkaDelta, Edo177IkornCross River178IrigwePlateau179IsokoDelta180IsekiriItsekiri1,000,000181IyalaIyallaCross River182IzereIzarek, Fizere, Fezere, Feserek, Afizarek, Afizare, Afusare, Jari, Jarawa, Jarawan Dutse, Hill Jarawa, Jos-Zarazon.100,000Plateau183IzondjoBayelsa, Delta, Ondo, Rivers184JahunaJahunawaTaraba185JakuBauchi186JaraJaar, Jarawa, Jarawa-Dutse187JereJare, Jera, Jera, JerawaBauchi, Plateau188JeroTaraba189JibuAdamawa190Jidda-AbuPlateau191JimbinJimbinawaBauchi192JiraiAdamawa193JjuKaje, KacheKaduna194JonjoJenjoTaraba195JukunBauchi, Benue, Taraba, Plateau196KabaKabawaTaraba197KadaraAjuah, Ajure, Adaa, Adara, Azuwa, Ajuwa, Azuwa, EdaKaduna, Niger198KafanchanKaduna199Kagoro200KajuruKajurawa201KakaManengubaAdamawa202KamakuKarnukawaKaduna, Kebbi, Niger203 Kambari Kebbi, Niger204Kamwe (Kapsiki) in Cameroon1.2 million native speakersAdamawa, Borno, and the Republic of CameroonActiveKwache, IY (2016)Kamwe People of Northern Nigeria: Origin, History and Culture205KamoBauchiActive206KanakuruDeraAdamawa, Borno207KanembuBorno208KanikonKaduna209KantanaPlateau210KanufiKaduna211Kanuri8,150,0007,650,000Borno, Kaduna, Adamawa, Kano, Niger, Jigawa, Plateau, Taraba, Yobe212Karai-Karai (language)Karaikarai, KarekareBauchi, Yobe213KarimjoTaraba214KariyaBauchi215KatabKatafKaduna216KenernKoenoemPlateau217KentonTaraba218KiballoKiwolloKaduna219KilbaAdamawa220KirfiKirfawaBauchi221KomaTaraba222Kona223KoroKwaroKaduna, Niger, Nasarawa224KubiKubawaBauchi225KudachanoKudawaBauchi226KugamaTaraba227KulereKalerPlateau228KuniniTaraba229KuramaJigawa, Kaduna, Niger, Plateau230KurdulAdamawa231KushiBauchi232KutebTaraba233Kutin234KwahBaa18,000Adamawa235KwallaPlateau236KwamiKwomBauchi237KwanchiTaraba238KwankaKwankwaBauchi, Plateau239KwaroPlateau240Kwato241KyengaKengawaSokoto242LaaruLarawaNiger243LakkaAdamawa244Lala245LamaTaraba246Lamja247Lau248UbboAdamawa249LimonoBauchi, Plateau250LopaLupa, LopawaNiger251LongudaLungudaAdamawa, Bauchi252MaboPlateau253MadaKaduna, Plateau254MamaPlateau255MambillaAdamawa256ManchokKaduna257MandaraWandalaBorno258MangaMangawaYobe259MargiAdamawa, Borno260MatakarnAdamawa261MbembeCross River, Enugu262MbolAdamawa263MbubeCross River264MbulaAdamawa265MbumTaraba266MemyangMeryanPlateau267Miango268MiligiliMigili269MiyaMiyawaBauchi270MobberBorno271MontolPlateau272MoruwaMoro’a, MorwaKaduna273MuchailaAdamawa274MumuyeTaraba275MundangAdamawa276Mupun1,000,000Plateau278Mushere279MwahavulMwaghavul280NdoroTaraba281NgamoBauchi, Yobe282NgizimYobe283NgwesheNdhang, Ngoshe-NdhangAdamawa, Borno284NingiNingawaBauchi285NinzamNinzoKaduna, Plateau286NjayiAdamawa287NkimCross River288Nkum289NokereNakerePlateau290NsukkaEnugu State and some parts of Kogi state291NunkuKaduna, Plateau292NupeNiger, Kwara, Kogi, FCT293NyandangTaraba294OboloAndoniAkwa Ibom, Rivers295OgbaOgba 1000+Rivers296OgbiaBayelsa297OfutopOfutop (okangha(2)5,0004,000Ikom, Okuni, Cross River298OgoriKwara299OkoboOkkoborAkwa Ibom300OkpamheriEdo301OkpeOkpe1,000,000Delta302OlulumoCross River302OroOron1,000,000Akwa Ibom303OwanEdo304OweKwara305Oworo306Pa’aPa’awa, AfawaBauchi307PaiPlateau308PanyamTaraba309PeroBauchi310PireAdamawa311PkanzomTaraba312Poll313Polchi HabeBauchi314PongoPonguNiger315PotopoTaraba315PyapunPiapungPlateau317QuaCross River318RebinaRebinawaBauchi319ResheKebbi, Niger320RindireRendrePlateau321RishuwaKaduna322RonPlateau323RubuNiger324RukubaPlateau325RumadaKaduna326Rumaya327SakbeTaraba328SangaBauchi329SateTaraba330SayaSayawa, Za’arBauchi, Plateau, Kaduna, Abuja, Niger, Kogi331SegidiSigidawaBauchi332ShangaShangawaSokoto333ShangawaShangauPlateau334Shan-ShanPlateau335ShiraShirawaKano336ShomoTaraba337ShuwaAdamawa, Borno338SikdiPlateau339SiriSirawaBauchi340SrubuSurubuKaduna341SukurAdamawa342SuraPlateau343TangaleBauchi344TarokPlateau, Taraba345TemeAdamawa346TeraTerawaBauchi, Bomo347TeshenaTeshenawaKano348TigonAdamawa349TikarTaraba350Tiv5,000,000Benue, Plateau,adamawa, Taraba, Nasarawa2351TulaBauchi352TurAdamawa353UfiaBenue354UkelleKele, KukelleCross River355UkwaniKwale,AbohDelta356UncindaKaduna, Kebbi, Niger, Sokoto357UnemeInemeEdo358UraUlaNiger359Urhobo1,000,000Delta360UtonkongBenue361Uvwie100,000Delta362UyangaCross River363VemgoAdamawa364Verre365VommiTaraba366WaggaAdamawa367WajaBauchi368WakaTaraba369WarjaJigawa370WarjiBauchi371WulaAdamawa372Wurbo373WurkunTaraba374YacheCross River375YagbaKwara376YakurrYakoCross River377YallaBenue378YandangTaraba379YerganYergumPlateau380Yoruba45,700,00043,700,000Kwara, Lagos, Ogun, Ondo, Oyo, Osun, Ekiti, Kogi, Edo2381YottTaraba382YumuNiger383YungurAdamawa384Yuom250,000Plateau385ZabaraNiger386ZarandaBauchi387ZarmaDyerma, Dyarma, Dyabarma, Zabarma, Adzerma, Djerma, Zarbarma, Zerma, ZarmawaKebbi, Sokoto, Zamfara, Niger State, Yobe, Kaduna, Lagos388ZayamZeamBauchi389ZulZulawa

Sources