By Abass Latifat
Nigerian English expert, and English lecturer at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Kingsley Ugwuanyi, in an interview with punch newspapers has said that there are at least four published Nigerian English dictionaries.
In an interview with the Punch Newspaper on the adoption of some new words and terms into the English Dictionary OED, he expressed countless efforts by Nigerian scholars interested in Nigerian English in the past. He noted that there are about four full dictionaries of Nigeria English written by Nigerian scholars, the first which was published by professor Herbert Igboanusi in 2002.
According to him” Nigerian English does not originate with OED adding this words. There have been countless efforts by Nigerian scholars interested in Nigerian English (including me) to study, document and teach Nigeria since the 1960’s. What I see happening now is that with the prestige of OED and the fact that OED is published in England, this inclusion seems to be more regarded.
“But should it be so ? To the best of my knowledge, there are about four full dictionaries of Nigerian English written by scholars. The first which was published by Herbert Igboanusi in 2002.
“But the question is ! How many Nigerians Know about the dictionary? Maybe I wouldn’t have known if I wasn’t studying Nigerian English. But beyond these factors, I think that Nigerians to the Oxford inclusion also underscores the attitude of Nigerians which Professor Farouq Kperogi described as ”xenophilia’ that is excessive reverence for the foreign.”
