There are 27 languages close to extinction in Nigeria

An endangered language is a language that it is at risk of falling out of use, generally because it has few surviving speakers. If it loses all of its native speakers, it becomes an extinct language.

According to UNESCO, linguistic diversity and multilingualism are essential for sustainable development in any nation and we're gradually losing 27.

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) defines four levels of language endangerment between "safe" and "extinct".

- Vulnerable

- Definitely endangered

- Severely endangered

- Critically endangered

The country contains languages from the three major African languages families: Afroasiatic, Nilo-Saharan and Niger-Congo. Nigeria also has several as-yet unclassified languages, such as Centúúm, which may represent a relic of an even greater diversity prior to the spread of the current language families.

Least of endangered languages include:

Akum language (Critically endangered)

Bade language (Vulnerable)

Bakpinka language (Critically endangered)

Defaka language (Critically endangered)

Duguza language (Definitely endangered)

Dulbu language (Critically endangered)

Fyem language (Severely endangered)

Geji cluster (Severely endangered)

Gera language (Vulnerable)

Gura language (Severely endangered)

Gurdu-Mbaaru language (Severely endangered)

Gyem language (Critically endangered)

Hya language (Severely endangered)

Ilue language (Critically endangered)

Jilbe language (Citically endangered)

Kiong language (Critically endangered)

Kona language (Severely endangered)

Kudu-Camo language (Critically endangered)

Luri language (Critically endangered)

Mvanip language (Critically endangered)

Ndunda language (Severely endangered)

Ngwaba language (Severely endangered)

Polci cluster (Definitely endangered)

Reshe language (Vulnerable)

Sambe language (Critically endangered)

Somyev language (Critically endangered)

Yangkam language (Critically endangered)

It is important to note that in order to be listed, a language must be classified as "endangered" in a cited academic source. Researchers have also concluded that in less than one hundred years, almost half of the languages known today will be lost forever.