The most spoken languages on the continent

omotolani

June 21, 2018 5:05 PM

Around 2,000 languages are spoken in Africa with Nigerians alone speaking over 250 languages.

Africa is second largest and second most populous continent in the world in both area and population.

Africa's cultural diversity cannot be overstated. Around 2,000 languages are spoken in Africa with Nigerians alone speaking over 250 languages, one of the greatest concentrations of linguistic diversity in the world.

ALSO READ: Know the 10 Southern Africa countries

1. English

In Africa, English is the primary language of so many countries. Nations like Botswana, Cameroon, Rwanda, Nigeria, Sudan, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Tanzania, Uganda and Ghana and South Africa speak it officially.

2. Arabic

Arabic is the most widespread language in Africa and is the official language of Algeria, Mauritania, Libya, Tunisia and Egypt. It is also the co-official language of Morocco, Eritrea, Somalia, Chad, Sudan, Djibouti and Western Sahara.

3. Swahili

Swahili, also known as Kiswahili is a Bantu language and the first language of the Swahili people. It is a lingua franca of the African Great Lakes region and other parts of eastern and south-eastern Africa, including Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, Mozambique, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).

Various estimates have been put forward and they vary widely, from 50 million to over 100 million.

ALSO READ: 7 beautiful paradise islands to visit in Africa

4. French

Many countries in Africa were colonized by France. More than 50 million people in Africa can speak French. In nations like Morocco, Benin, Togo, Algeria, Senegal and Rwanda, French is used commonly in society.

5. Hausa

Hausa is the Chadic language with the largest number of speakers, spoken as a first language by some 27 million people. Hausa is commonly spoken throughout southern Niger and northern Nigeria. It has developed into a lingua franca across much of Western Africa for purposes of trade.

omotolani