Nigeria’s cultural footprint on global English continues to expand, as the Oxford English Dictionary (OED) has incorporated both slang and food-related terms that originate from the country. Words such as “nyash,” “abeg,” “mammy market,” “moi moi,” “biko,” and “Ghana Must Go” now sit alongside global internet expressions like “DM,” “brainfart,” and “chug.”
Some of the newly added Nigerian cuisine entries include “amala” — a doughy staple made from yam, cassava, or unripe plantain flour — and “moi moi,” a Yoruba bean pudding blended with peppers, onions, and dried ingredients. Nigerian music also makes an appearance: “Afrobeats” is defined as a popular genre fusing West African sounds with elements of soul, jazz, and funk.
The OED update does not focus solely on Nigeria. Over 500 new words, senses, and phrases have been added overall, while more than 1,000 existing entries have been revised. The editors also examined the origins of terms as varied as “coffee,” “snooker,” and “troll,” and noted the growing importance of multiple English varieties worldwide, including those spoken in West Africa, Malta, Japan, and South Korea.
Nigerian expressions appear frequently in everyday speech, which may explain their rise to international recognition. “Abeg” now enters the OED as an interjection used to express frustration, disbelief, or surprise. “Biko,” originally from Igbo, is defined as an adverb or interjection meaning “please,” often used for polite requests. Meanwhile, “nyash” refers to the buttocks, particularly in reference to women.
Other culturally embedded phrases have also been formalized. “Ghana Must Go” describes a large, colorful, plastic zippered bag widely used across West Africa — a term rooted in the 1983 expulsion of Ghanaian migrants from Nigeria. “Mammy market” denotes commercial spaces typically run by women and historically associated with military barracks, later spreading to youth service camps and educational settings.
This December 2025 update follows an earlier expansion in January of the same year, when the OED added 20 Nigerian-origin terms including “japa,” “agbero,” “ebi,” and “eba,” as well as “419,” a slang reference to internet-based fraud. Together, the additions highlight how Nigerian English, Pidgin, and street slang continue to influence global vocabulary and digital communication.
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