Nigeria English Proficiency: Africa’s Fifth-Best Kept Secret
By: Abudu Olalekan
Nigeria English proficiency ranks 5th in Africa, EF EPI 2025 says. Trails South Africa, Zim. Big for jobs, biz. Full top 10, why it matters.
Ever wonder why Nigerians switch from pidgin to crisp English mid-convo? Like that. Seamless. Now, fresh news hits. Nigeria’s English skills? Top-tier in Africa. Fifth place. EF Education First drops the 2025 index. Monday buzz on their site. Reportersroom dug in.
Story starts big. 123 countries. 2.2 million test takers. AI checks speaking, writing first time. EF’s tech arm magic. Nigeria? Official tongue. Schools teach it. Gov chats it. Media blasts it. Business seals deals. Holds strong.
But fifth? Who’s ahead. South Africa leads. Everywhere English—gov, schools, news, shops. Widespread. Natural. Zimbabwe next. Primary lingo for classes, admin. No mess. Kenya hustles third. Swahili shares spotlight, but English rules cities, jobs. Zambia fourth. Official jam. Teaches kids to grads in it.
Nigeria slots five. Central to life. Commerce hums. National glue. Ghana six. Basics to uni, all English. Public desks too. Uganda seven. Trade, diplo, pros lean heavy. Ethiopia eight. Not official, but schools, world talks crave it. Tunisia nine. Youth grab it—tech, tours. Morocco ten. Schools push for trade links.
Think history. Colonial gift. British left lingos mixed. Pidgin born streets. Igbo, Yoruba, Hausa thrive homes. But English? Unites 200m-plus. Abrupt fact. We code-switch pros. Office formal. Market casual. “Oga, how far?” Then “Sir, the report is ready.”
Why matters. Jobs. Global biz. Tech boom Lagos. English opens doors. Nollywood scripts it. Afrobeats lyrics flirt pidgin-English mash. Diaspora shines—US, UK, Canada. Remits flow.
Challenges though. Rural spots lag. Local langs dominate. Urban-rural gap. Proficiency? Moderate global, but Africa boss. EF says growing need. AI jobs demand it. Trade pacts too.
Casual take. South Africa? 11 tongues official. English top dog. Zim? Post-Mugabe push. Kenya? Kiswahili pride, English edge. Zambia steady. Us? Massive pop boosts scores. Volume helps.
Break it down casual-formal mix. Top 10 Africa:
South Africa. Everywhere.
Zim. Instruction king.
Kenya. Urban pro.
Zambia. Official flow.
Nigeria. Commerce heart.
Ghana. School staple.
Uganda. Trade key.
Ethiopia. Edu global.
Tunisia. Youth tech.
Morocco. Biz bridge.
Future? Nigeria climbs? Invest schools. Teacher train. Free tests. Pidgin? Fun sidekick. Not rival.
Personal vibe. Grew up Naija. English exams terror. Now? Fluency flex. Fifth feels right. Not one, but solid. Pride spark. Economy boost ahead.
EF index real eye-opener. Nigeria English proficiency shines Africa. 2025 proof. World notices. What’s next? Sixth? Nah. Push top three.
Short bursts. Test takers poured data. AI scored fair. Nigeria holds. Africa leads global south.
Reportersroom nods. Check EF site. Numbers don’t lie.
