22 Nigerian Words, Including 419, Agbero, Japa, And Kobo, Added To Oxford Dictionary

The Oxford English Dictionary (OED) has expanded its vocabulary with the addition of several Nigerian words in its diction.

These new entries capture the essence of everyday life in Nigeria, highlighting its vibrant street slang and Pidgin English, which continue to gain recognition across Africa and beyond.

The latest additions also reflect Nigeria’s ethnic and demographic diversity, with some words serving as both nouns and verbs.

For example, “japa” and “jand” appear in both forms. To aid non-Nigerians interested in learning these terms, pronunciations have been included for each word.

Dr. Kingsley Ugwuanyi, a consultant for OED who contributed to this update, shared the news on LinkedIn on January 7.

He revealed that OED editors relied on corpora to identify words widely used and recognized across Nigeria.

“So, the criteria include frequency, widespread use, age (generally words that have been in use for zero to 10 years) and the social significance of the words,” Ugwuanyi explained.

He added, “This time, I not only drafted most of the words but also had the incredible opportunity to provide their pronunciations.

“So, when you explore the OED online and click on the pronunciations, you will hear my voice bringing these words to life.” 

Back in 2020, OED introduced 29 Nigerian words such as “danfo,” “okada,” “next tomorrow,” and “mama put.”

The 2025 update builds on this, adding more terms deeply rooted in Nigerian culture.

Here’s the full list of new Nigerian words added to the OED in 2025:

1. 419
2. Abi
3. Adire
4. Agbero
5. Area Boy
6. Cross-carpet
7. Cross-carpeting
8. Eba
9. Edo
10. Gele
11. Jand (noun)
12. Jand (verb)
13. Janded
14. Japa (noun)
15. Japa (verb)
16. Kanuri
17. Kobo
18. Naija
19. Suya
20. Yahoo
21. Yahoo Boy
22. Yarn Dust

KanyiDaily recalls that in 2020, Oxford English Dictionary added 29 Nigerian words and expressions in the updates to the dictionary.