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Sports commentator Chief Suo Chapele has reflected on how an unexpected decision she made as a university student eventually led to a career in sports broadcasting in Nigerian Pidgin. Speaking in an interview with BBC News Pidgin, Suo said her interest in Pidgin began while studying English and Linguistics at the University of Benin.
“For me di pidgin, I guess na Im choose me, ” she told BBC.
She recalled that one of her lecturers, Professor Uka, gave students the option of writing a linguistics examination in any language of their choice. While many chose English, she decided to write hers in Nigerian Pidgin. She said the decision was not part of a long-term plan but reflected a pattern that had followed her since she was a teenager. Whenever she had to choose between English and another language or area of study, she found herself drawn to the less conventional option.
According to Suo, that same instinct influenced another major decision when she enrolled at the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria Training School in Ikeja. While other trainees pursued more conventional broadcasting paths, she chose Pidgin broadcasting. She explained that after years of studying English literature and writers such as William Shakespeare and William Wordsworth, she became increasingly interested in the stories, poetry and oral traditions of her own cultural background, particularly those from the Urhobo, Igbo and Itsekiri communities.
“Wen we dey get our lectures wey dey give us instruction, wen dem ask wetin you wan do, I neva do am bifor, I still tok say na pidgin I wan do, just becos evribody dey follow one tin, I stubborn, I don to receive pronunciation enuf, I don read all dem Shakespeare, Williams Wordsworth, but you know wetin I no know, all di poets and di laureates wey come from Urohbo land for instance or Igbo kingdom or Itshekiri kingdom wey e be say na all dis places wey I come from.”
Looking back, Suo said she now sees Pidgin as the language that shaped her career rather than simply a broadcasting choice. She also spoke about the growing acceptance of Nigerian Pidgin in sports broadcasting and education. According to her, more young people are choosing careers in Pidgin commentary, including women with university degrees who now see it as a respected profession rather than an alternative to mainstream broadcasting. Using the recently concluded Nigeria Women’s Football League Super Six as an example, she noted that the competition featured an all women commentary team, with Pidgin commentary included alongside English coverage. She added that the growing use of Pidgin extends beyond sports, noting that teachers now explain subjects such as Physics and Biology in Pidgin to make lessons easier for students to understand and remember.
Suo’s comments reflect a broader shift in how Nigerian Pidgin is used across journalism, sports broadcasting, and education. A language once confined to informal conversations, it is now finding space in professional settings, with more broadcasters embracing it as a legitimate medium for reaching wider audiences.
