File photo of Ghana Must go bag
The Oxford English Dictionary (OED) has officially recognised more than 22 words from Nigeria and West Africa in its 2026 update.
According to a DWAfrica report, among the newly included Nigerian terms are “nyash,” “mammy market,” “amala,” “moi moi,” “abeg,” “biko,” and the culturally significant phrase “Ghana Must Go.”
In a post shared on X, the OED explained some of the additions “abeg” is used as an interjection to convey emotions such as surprise or disbelief; “biko,” derived from Igbo, serves as a polite interjection akin to “please”; and “nyash” refers to a person’s particularly a woman’s backside.
The term “Ghana Must Go” describes the large checkered plastic bags commonly used across West Africa and is historically linked to the 1983 expulsion of Ghanaian migrants from Nigeria.
The inclusion of these words signals a growing recognition of African contributions to global English and reflects how local expressions continue to shape international communication.
Ghana Must Go! 40 years ago today, Nigeria expelled ‘a million’ Ghanaians
The OED’s latest update underscores the increasing prominence of Nigerian and West African culture in everyday language, cementing its role on the world stage.
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