Giving Nigerian Pidgin a Modern Digital Identity: Meet Raymond Okoro, Founder Of Pidginary

Nigerian Pidgin has grown in popularity across music, film, and social media, becoming a defining voice of modern Nigerian culture. Yet despite its global reach, it has never been showcased in a modern way. Pidginary is changing that. More than just a dictionary, it’s a platform that dignifies the language, its expressions, and the identity it carries for millions of Nigerians around the world.

We sat down with Raymond Okoro, a UK-based product designer and the founder of Pidginary, to discuss the inspiration behind the platform, how design shaped the experience, and its impact on culture and technology today.

Tell Us A Bit More About Pidginary

The idea for Pidginary came from years of observing a gap. Pidgin is spoken by hundreds of millions of Nigerians, yet it has no modern representation. In many ways, it’s still seen as a crude language, even by Nigerians themselves. The few digital resources that exist are outdated and lack the kind of thoughtful design that makes people connect with modern platforms.

I wanted to give Pidgin the same respect and visibility that other global languages enjoy. It is how millions of Nigerians across the globe express emotion and identity, but it has never had a proper digital home.

Language is more than communication; it is identity. With Pidginary, I am building a digital dictionary and cultural platform that redefines how Nigerian Pidgin is documented and regarded.

Why Does Pidginary Matter Now?

Nigerian culture is having a global moment. From Afrobeats to Nollywood to fashion, there is growing curiosity about the language and expressions behind the music, movies, and memes that dominate social media.

Pidgin is at the centre of that movement. It drives the rhythm and humour in the lyrics, the punchlines in viral videos, and the way Nigerians express identity with confidence and ease online. Yet for all its reach, it has lacked proper documentation.

That’s what Pidginary represents. It’s more than a dictionary; it’s a bridge between cultures. Pidgin has always connected people in Nigeria, a country with over 250 ethnic groups and more than 500 languages. Pidginary helps people everywhere understand a language that’s now entrenched in global pop culture, while giving Nigerians a renewed sense of pride in seeing their everyday speech treated with care and design.

As Nigerian voices continue to travel further, the world will keep listening. And now, they will finally have a place to understand what they hear.

How Did Your Design Background Shape The Project?

As a designer, I approached Pidginary through the lens of usability. Built entirely with AI, the interface is intentionally simple, pairing typography and colours that enhance readability and project the authenticity of the Nigerian heritage.

The ultimate goal was simplicity, not overly formal or academic, but alive, rooted in the Nigerian brand and functional nonetheless.

One thing users love about Pidginary is its intuitive and creative navigation. That was an important challenge I made sure to solve, making it easy for anyone to explore the dictionary and discover words. I leveraged common patterns in modern apps, making the navigation familiar to users from the very first visit. My design background played a key role in that.

Who Is Pidginary For?

Pidginary is built for anyone connected to Nigerian Pidgin or curious about it. From students and linguists to creatives, diaspora communities, and expatriates working in Nigeria who want to understand the language being spoken around them.

Users can search words in both English and Pidgin, see example usages and translations, listen to pronunciations, and even discover a daily “Word of the Day.”

The platform also invites participation. Users can suggest new words, contribute meanings, or share how they use expressions in different regions. This keeps the platform dynamic, not frozen in one form.

What Impact Do You Think Pidginary Has On The Tech Space?

The lines between designer, builder, and founder are disappearing. Today, a single person can take an idea from sketch to product, and that’s exciting. Pidginary is an example of this rapid shift currently disrupting the tech space.

I am honoured and feel privileged to be one of the people leading this charge to the new age. I believe design will be the differentiator between digital products that lack soul and products users truly connect with in the AI era.

What’s Next For Pidginary?

Pidginary launched in September this year as a responsive web platform and was well received by the creative and tech community across the globe. The next phase includes continually expanding its word base, integrating more sophisticated translation tools, expanding community contribution, and building a dedicated mobile app that will allow for personalisation and even more exciting features.

Ultimately, Pidginary is not just a dictionary, it is a mission and cultural statement, especially in a world where design and branding often overlook African contexts. At first it was something I built as a passion project and personal challenge, but the response I received tells me the world genuinely needs Pidginary, and I have many exciting plans for this product whose time has definitely come.