Tunde Omoniyi
The Oxford English Dictionary (OED) has added several Nigerian-origin words to its latest update, showcasing the country’s growing influence on global language and culture.
The December 2025 update features over 500 new words, phrases, and tenses, including “mammy market”, “nyash”, “amala”, “moi moi”, “abeg”, “biko”, and “Ghana Must Go”.
These additions reflect Nigeria’s rich cultural heritage, with words like “amala” (a staple food made from yam or cassava flour) and “moi moi” (a dish originating from the Yoruba people) highlighting the country’s cuisine. “Nyash” refers to a person’s buttocks, while “abeg” is an interjection used to express surprise or exasperation.
The OED also recognized “Afrobeats”, a music style that blends West African rhythms with jazz, soul, and funk.
Other Nigerian words added include “japa”, “agbero”, “eba”, and “419”, which refers to internet fraud.
Investigator news reports that this update is a testament to the growing global influence of Nigerian English, Pidgin, and street slang.
The latest addition also included “Ghana Must Go”, the popular name for the large, chequered plastic bags widely used in West Africa, whose expression traces back to the 1983 mass expulsion of undocumented Ghanaian migrants from Nigeria.
It is defined as “A large, zippered bag made of durable plastic with a colourful check pattern, often used for carrying one’s”
The term “mammy market” was recognised as “a market typically run by women, originally found in military barracks but later also in youth service camps and educational institutions.”
In the category of cuisine, the dictionary included “amala”, a staple food made from yam or cassava flour, defined as “a kind of dough made of yam, cassava, or unripe plantain flour, typically formed into a ball and served as an accompaniment to other dishes” and “moi moi”, a dish originating among the Yoruba people, “consisting of beans ground into a smooth paste, mixed with peppers, onions, dried also made the list”
Full List of New West African Words Added to the OED (2026)
abeg, int. & adv.
abrokyire, n.
Adowa, n.
Afrobeats, n.
amala, n.
ampesi, n.
benachin, n.
bichir, n.
biko, adv. & int.
domoda, n.
dumboy, n.
Ghana Must Go, n.
hiplife, n.
kpanlogo, n.
light soup, n.
mammy market, n.
moi moi, n.
nawetan, n.
nyash, n.
obroni, n. & adj.
poda-poda, n.
yassa, n.
