West Africa: Information on a "lingua franca" among the West African countries of Ghana, Nigeria and Sierra Leone
| Publisher | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada |
| Author | Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board, Canada |
| Publication Date | 1 January 1992 |
| Citation / Document Symbol | ZZZ9708 |
| Cite as | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, West Africa: Information on a "lingua franca" among the West African countries of Ghana, Nigeria and Sierra Leone, 1 January 1992, ZZZ9708, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/3ae6ac5d30.html [accessed 17 September 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
Information in this response was provided by representatives of the High Commission of Nigeria in Ottawa, and the Consulate of Sierra Leone in Washington, D.C. during telephone interviews with the IRBDC (21 Jan. 1992). According to these sources, English is the language of communication in Nigeria, Ghana and Sierra Leone. It is also the language of instruction in schools, post-secondary institutions, vocational training centres including the military, and is taught from grade one to university level. The representative of the Consulate of Sierra Leone emphasized that this situation pertains to all the former British colonies in West Africa. He further stated that Sierra Leonians also speak "creole," a mixture of Sierra Leonian local dialects and English. In Nigeria, this is known as "pidgin" English. A Sierra Leonian and a Nigerian from either the Yoruba or Igbo ethnic groups would communicate in "creole" or "pidgin" but this may not be the case for Nigerians from other ethnic backgrounds. This information was corroborated by the representative from the High Commission of Nigeria. A representative from the High Commission for Ghana was not available for comment.
Published information on this subject is currently unavailable to the IRBDC in Ottawa.
Bibliography
The Consulate of the Embassy of Sierra Leone, Washington, D.C. 21 January 1992. Telephone Interview with Representative.
High Commission of Nigeria, Ottawa. 21 January 1992. Telephone Interview with Representative.