Nigeria is very diverse when it comes to languages and although English is the dominant language, there are three predominant languages spoken majorly. One of these languages is Hausa spoken mostly in the northern region of Nigeria. It's one of the official languages in Nigeria, Niger and Ghana.
Two years ago I happened to have my national one year service in a northern state and communication was an issue because I had no prior knowledge of the Hausa language. It was easier at my workplace because the staff understood English and would switch to that because of me. Outside the office was a struggle, using public transport and especially bargaining in the market was so hard.
The common pidgin English spoken across the country wasn't enough to bridge the language gap with most of the villagers. A colleague who understood Hausa had to help me with translation whenever I had to attend to a person who didn't understand English or pidgin English. I was able to learn the basic words and greetings but I wish I had dedicated ample time to learn more.
Soon I'll be moving to the northern parts and although more people speak English where I'm headed to, I still need to learn Hausa for easier communication. I hear it's one of the easiest Nigerian languages to learn and I think that's true. It also sounds really good especially with an Hausa accent. Hopefully my daily interaction will greatly influence learning fast.
I cannot understand any language other than English and pidgin English, not even the native languages of my parents. So this is an exciting opportunity for me to learn something new and different.