Language Attitudes Toward Nigerian Pidgin Among University Students in Lagos State

This study examines the language attitudes of university students in Lagos State, South West Nigeria, toward Nigerian Pidgin English, with a focus on its perceived status, intelligibility, and appropriateness in various social domains. As Nigerian Pidgin gains increased visibility in media, entertainment, and digital spaces, debates about its legitimacy as a formal language or educational medium have intensified. The study employs a survey design using a Likert-scale attitude questionnaire adapted from Gardner's Attitude and Motivation Test Battery. The sample comprises 300 undergraduate students from three universities in Lagos, selected through stratified random sampling to reflect variation in ethnicity, gender, and field of study. The data were analysed using descriptive statistics and chi-square tests of association. Findings reveal a predominantly positive affective orientation toward Pidgin among students, particularly in informal and social contexts, but strong resistance to its use in academic settings. Attitudes vary significantly by field of study, with humanities students demonstrating more accommodating views than engineering and sciences students. The study also notes a generational shift in prestige attribution, with Pidgin gaining ground as a marker of national identity rather than low educational status. The research contributes to language planning discussions and recommends further sociolinguistic investigation into Pidgin's potential role in Nigerian tertiary education. Keywords: language attitudes, Nigerian Pidgin, university students, Lagos State, language planning.