Abeg, read this article until the end. I might have some amala for you when you’re done. Yes, you are convinced that ‘abeg’ and ‘amala’ are not English words and should be in quotes. But not anymore.
These words are part of the 22 West African, Nigerian words in the Oxford Dictionary 2026. They are further proof that everyday language from West Africa now speaks to the world.
The update, announced as part of the Oxford English Dictionary’s (OED) December release for its 2026 edition, introduced over 500 new words, phrases, and meanings worldwide. More than 20 of those came straight from West Africa, with Nigeria leading the charge. 
The additions by this global authority on English usage capture culture, food, music and everyday speech. It also reflects the social energy that makes Nigerian and West African English so colourful and fun.
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The Significance of These West African, Nigerian Words in the Oxford Dictionary 2026
Language is a living thing. It grows when people use, reshape, remix. The OED notes that these words got included because they’re used consistently over time. Also, not just in Lagos or Accra; these words appear in real conversations across the globe.
Cultural observers say this moment is more than linguistic validation. It shows the power and cultural influence that has spread through music, food, jokes, and our everyday speech. When “abeg” finds a place next to “please”, you know the world is listening.
Full List of West African, Nigerian Words in Oxford Dictionary 2026
Among the Nigerian words now officially stamped are familiar favourites like abeg, biko, nyash, amala, moi moi, mammy market, Ghana Must Go, and Afrobeats.
“Abeg” earns recognition as both an interjection and an adverb, used to express everything from pleading to disbelief, sometimes in one sentence. “Biko”, rooted in Igbo, appears as a polite but urgent “please.” “Nyash”, now formally defined, needs no introduction, though Nigerians still have questions about it finally making it into a dictionary.
Food also secured its rightful place. Amala is defined as “a dough made from yam, cassava, or plantain flour”. While moi moi gets its flowers as “a steamed bean pudding with serious range”. Even mammy market, long associated with barracks and NYSC camps, is now officially documented.
22 West African Words Now in Oxford Dictionary
The complete West African additions include abeg, abrokyire, Adowa, Afrobeats, amala, ampesi, benachin, bichir, biko, domoda, dumboy, Ghana Must Go, hiplife, kpanlogo, light soup, mammy market, moi moi, nawetan, nyash, obroni, poda-poda, and yassa.
In Closing: These Words Continue a Growing Trend
This update builds on the 2025 expansion that added Nigerian terms like japa, 419, agbero, and suya. Now we’re seeing continuity in how West African language shapes English.
These updates show that English isn’t just shaped in London, New York, or Sydney. It’s also shaped on Lagos street corners, Accra markets, and Sierra Leone parlours too.
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