A message appears online during heavy flooding: “This rain no be small o, everywhere don red.” Someone unfamiliar with the phrasing might hesitate. But for people in Nigeria, this message is immediate and clear: the flooding is severe and worsening.
Moments like this happen all the time on digital platforms. People don’t write in perfect, standard English sentences. They share warnings and reactions on platforms like X, WhatsApp and Facebook using the language of everyday life. This means sometimes mixing English with local expressions, slang and expressive language shaped by their communities.
