WHICH DOMINATES IN LAGOS: ENGLISH, PIDGIN OR SLANGS?

Lagos is a city where you can hear three different languages within five minutes—English, Pidgin and slang. Sometimes, you don't even know when one changes into another.One Monday morning, I entered a danfo heading towards Yaba. As soon as I sat down, the conductor shouted, “Oga, shift! Make person sit down.”A passenger looked at him and replied, “Please, speak English. I don't understand what you're saying.”The conductor laughed. “My brother, na Lagos you dey. Which English you wan hear?”Everybody inside the bus laughed.When we got to the next bus stop, a young man entered and greeted everyone, “Good morning, everyone.”The conductor looked at him and said, “Good morning, professor. Abeg enter make we move.”The bus became noisy again.That was when I realised that English might be the official language of Lagos, but Pidgin is the language that brings everybody together. Whether you're a student, trader, driver or businessman, you probably understand Pidgin.But then came the slangs.A group of teenagers entered the bus, and suddenly the whole conversation changed.“Guy, no cap, that party yesterday was mad!”“Abeg, gist me. Wetin sup?”“Bro, everywhere burst!”The older passengers looked confused.One woman finally asked, “What kind of English are these children speaking?”Everyone laughed.Slangs change quickly in Lagos. One word can become popular today and disappear tomorrow. Words like “wahala,” “no wahala,” “abeg,” “dey play,” “e choke,” and many others have become part of everyday conversations.So, which one dominates Lagos—English, Pidgin or slang?The truth is that they all have their place. English dominates in schools, offices and formal situations. Pidgin dominates everyday conversations, especially when people want to communicate freely. Slangs dominate among young people and on social media.But if I had to choose one, I would say Pidgin dominates Lagos. It crosses social and economic boundaries and makes communication easier.After all, in Lagos, you can speak perfect English, but once someone says, “Omo, this traffic don cast,” you already know exactly what they mean.

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