The standardization processes of Nigeria pidgin seems to have started during the post –colonial period. Naturally Nigerians pidgin appears to be the first choice of most Nigerians in formal situations especially when they are among those from different ethnic and linguistic backgrounds. Thus the selection process has tactically taken place. Among all the languages used in Nigeria today, English inclusive, Nigerian pidgin could be said to be that most widely spoken. Evidence abounds in motor parks, parties, congregations, and most social occasions, there is also ample evidence in the electronic and print media, especially in political propaganda, campaigns and product advertisement. Thus in terms of spread and extensive use of Nigerians pidgin in contemporary Nigeria could rightly be called a national lingua franca. The use of Nigerian pidgin in contemporary Nigeria could be described as most productive, extensive and complex it appears that the standardization processes- selection codification, elaboration of functions and acceptance which stared in post –colonial era, are now being completed in contemporary Nigeria. The reasons for this assumption is simple apart from its complex use as a lingua franca language of media advertisement, social interaction, unofficial military training and limited literacy output, Nigerians pidgin has attained widespread acceptability in the media, political propaganda and campaigns as well as in the soap opera, It is also the language of radio and television jingles. Most electronics media now use in some appreciable percentage of their airtime to cast news and give reports in Nigeria pidgin. Even through its use in some newspaper columns has declined, especially with the demise of the Waka About the column in the Daily Times, it’s however found extensively in some newspaper advertisements. In places like Warri Sapele and port Harcourt, there were reports that teachers at the lower primary level taught their pupils in Nigerian pidgin, this unofficial adoption of Nigerian pidgin as the language of the lower primary education by those teachers is justifiable considering the provision in the national policy on education which states that in addition to English the major languages in the child’s environment could be used at the elementary level of education similarly, Nigerian pidgin has become a language of religious preaching, especially Christianity in most rural and even urban centres where congregations are not all very well educated pastors resorts to the use of Nigerian pidgin. The use of Nigerian pidgin as a literary language tends to have started in the sixties with the works of Achebe Soyinka and others. But it is in the contemporary times that it has become most widespread. The numbers of poems novels and plays written and published in Nigerian pidgin is growing even more rapidly. Many more literary writers now attempt to experiment with the languages therefore the evidences of codification and elaboration of functions and the partial or tactical acceptance of Nigerian pidgin are clearly visible.
