English as a Lingua Franca (ELF) has shifted global linguistic priorities by emphasizing mutual intelligibility over adherence to native-speaker norms. This study examines the extent to which the Nigerian English Accent (NEA) aligns with Jenkins’ Lingua Franca Core (LFC) - a set of pronunciation features identified as essential for effective ELF communication. Using comparative phonological analysis, the study draws on segmental descriptions of Nigerian English by Awonusi (2004) and Adetugbo (2004), alongside Jenkins’ (2000, 2007) LFC framework. The findings reveal that NEA shares significant phonological features with the LFC, particularly in the preservation of voicing contrasts and initial consonant clusters, suggesting strong potential for intelligibility in ELF contexts. However, divergences such as vowel neutralization, interdental fricative substitutions, and inconsistent nuclear stress may hinder clarity in more complex communicative settings. These features, while common in many World Englishes varieties, highlight areas for targeted pedagogical attention. The study concludes that Nigerian English, as a localized variety, aligns more closely with intelligibilityfocused ELF norms than with traditional native-speaker models like Received Pronunciation. Consequently, pronunciation teaching in Nigeria should prioritize features affecting intelligibility rather than enforcing native-like accuracy, supporting learners to communicate effectively while maintaining linguistic identity.
Kofo Adedeji (Sun,) studied this question.