Introduction to the special issue on Nigerian English

Abstract This article introduces this special issue of World Englishes devoted to Nigerian English. It outlines the significance of this special issue (and of Nigerian English) within global Englishes scholarship. It situates Nigerian English as one of the most demographically, functionally and intellectually important postcolonial varieties of English, highlighting its extensive speaker base, its expanding number of L1 speakers, and ever‐expanding use across public, educational and cultural domains. The article reviews the historical development of Nigerian English and provides an overview of the 11 contributions in this special issue, organised around four thematic strands: overview studies, linguistic description, sociolinguistics and cultural linguistics, and meta‐research on Nigerian English. This introductory article argues that the collection demonstrates the maturity and scholarly depth of Nigerian English research, reinforces its growing status within world Englishes, and identifies directions for future work, particularly in pragmatic, digital and institutional domains.