Sociolinguistic Profiles of Igbo Language Use in Selected Markets in Kaduna State, North West Nigeria

This study develops sociolinguistic profiles of Igbo language use among Igbo traders in selected markets in Kaduna State, North West Nigeria. Markets serve as primary inter-ethnic contact zones in Nigerian urban life, and Igbo traders in northern markets navigate complex multilingual environments in which Hausa, Nigerian Pidgin, and English compete with Igbo as communicative resources. The research employs a sociolinguistic survey design, collecting data from two hundred and eight Igbo-speaking traders across five markets in Kaduna metropolis using language use diaries, observation records, and structured interviews. Sociolinguistic analysis examines domain distribution, interlocutor-conditioned language choice, and language attitudes. Findings indicate that Igbo is reserved primarily for intra-ethnic communication with other Igbo traders and family phone calls, while Hausa functions as the dominant language of inter-ethnic market transactions. Nigerian Pidgin English operates as a neutral code in ambiguous interactional contexts. Attitudes towards Igbo are uniformly positive among respondents, yet actual daily use duration averages only three hours, reflecting the practical dominance of Hausa in the northern market environment. The study makes a case for community language use documentation as a tool for minority language planning in northern Nigeria's urban market contexts. Keywords: Igbo language, Kaduna, markets, sociolinguistics, multilingualism.