Nigerian Designer Raymond Emamezi Okoro Launches First Modern Digital Pidgin Dictionary

  

For millions of Nigerians, Pidgin English is more than just a language, it is the pulse of everyday communication, heard on street corners, in markets, on radio stations, and in popular music. Yet, despite its widespread use, the language has often been neglected in structured documentation, especially online.

However, that is beginning to change with the launch of Pidginary, a new digital platform created by Nigerian product designer Raymond Emamezi Okoro, who is based in the United Kingdom. Described as the first modern dictionary dedicated to Nigerian Pidgin, the platform provides word definitions, usage examples, audio support, and a sleek, user-friendly interface that distinguishes it from previous fragmented or unfinished online glossaries.

Pidgin has become a unifying language in Nigeria, a country of over 232 million people and hundreds of indigenous languages. It cuts across ethnic, class, and social boundaries, spoken fluently by traders, students, artists, and professionals alike. But despite its cultural significance, it has rarely received the same permanence or quality treatment afforded to colonial languages like English or French.

Okoro believes that design can play a central role in changing this narrative. Speaking on the vision behind Pidginary, he said:

“Design leadership is about ensuring the quality of the final outcome and enforcing the vision regardless of what tools are used. Tools will keep changing, but designers have to protect the standard and direction of what we make.”

The launch has already drawn attention from designers and technologists at home and abroad, who see the project as a milestone in African-led innovation, showcasing how local culture can be preserved and elevated through global-grade digital products. Unlike platforms that imitate global design trends, Pidginary carves its own path by centering a Nigerian language in a polished, modern product.

Okoro developed Pidginary alongside his full-time role at UK mobility-tech firm YourParkingSpace, underlining a broader story about how Nigerian professionals in the diaspora are contributing to global industries while also investing in projects that resonate back home.

Though still in its early stages, with plans to expand its word list and introduce more features, Pidginary is already being hailed as a cultural-tech milestone giving Nigerian Pidgin the respect and digital recognition it has long deserved.

The platform is currently live at pidginary.xyz.