Abstract

The intriguing nature of Nigerian Creole predisposes it as a site for the investigation of sociolinguistic issues and the demonstration of many concerns of linguists, such as the seesaw argumentation that Nigerian Creole should be accorded a status without the resolution of the negative stance taking against the language. This study tackles this problem by countering, with concrete evidence, the negative stances besetting the language and arguing that the total lack of a language management framework (LMF) for the multiplicity of tongues in the country has been the stumbling block in the development of minority languages in the country. Data (perceptions on Nigerian Creole and awareness of language law) were collected from 1,500 respondents in Warri and its environs and subjected to simple percentage analysis. The margin of error allowed is 2.5 percent with a confidence level of 95 percent. Nigerian Creole is ambivalently perceived by the respondents as a good and unthreatened language with incredible potential, but not as prestigious as English. There is no LMF known to the respondents. English was simply imposed on them at some point in their lives. This article proposes that there should be an LMF in Nigeria to take care of both the micro- and macro-multilinguistic issues.