Naija No Dey Carry Last! Oxford Dictionary Adds ‘Nyash’, ‘Mammy Market’ and ‘Amala’ in Global Culture Win for Nigeria

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Nigerian culture has scored a major global victory as the Oxford English Dictionary (OED) officially added popular Nigerian words including “nyash,” “mammy market,” and “amala” to its lexicon, cementing Nigeria’s growing influence on the English language worldwide.

The new entries appeared in the December 2025 quarterly update of the OED, released this week, sparking widespread excitement across social media and among Nigerians at home and in the diaspora. The update includes more than **500 new words, phrases, and meanings, with a notable focus on West African English.

According to reports by leading Nigerian media platforms such as Punch, Vanguard, The Guardian, *Channels Television, and the latest additions reflect how Nigerian expressions—once considered informal or local—have become globally recognised through music, film, migration, and digital culture.

In the dictionary, “nyash” is defined as slang for a person’s buttocks, a term popularised through Nigerian Pidgin and urban youth culture. “Mammy market” is described as a market typically run by women, historically associated with military barracks and later common in NYSC camps and educational institutions across the country. “Amala,” a staple Yoruba dish, is defined as a dough made from yam, cassava, or unripe plantain flour, usually served with soup.

The update also features other Nigerian and West African expressions such as “abeg,” “biko,” “moi moi,” “Ghana Must Go,” and “Afrobeats,” further highlighting the region’s cultural export power. These additions follow earlier inclusions like “japa,” “suya,” “eba,”** and “yahoo boy,” which entered the dictionary in previous updates.

Editors of the Oxford English Dictionary noted that the expansion reflects the growing global impact of West African English, driven by the international success of Afrobeats music, Nollywood films, social media trends, and the Nigerian diaspora’s presence across the world.

Online reactions have been jubilant, with many Nigerians celebrating the moment as a cultural milestone. One viral post captured the mood perfectly: “Nyash don enter Oxford? Naija don conquer grammar!”

As Nigerian words continue to find their way into global dictionaries, the message is clear: Nigerian language, culture, and identity are shaping modern English in real time. And as many proudly put it—Naija nor dey carry last.