What began as the name of a town in Edo State and a Nigerian airline has evolved into one of the most recognisable words in Nigeria’s everyday vocabulary.
Today, “okada” is widely used across Nigeria and parts of West Africa to describe a motorcycle used for commercial transportation. The word gained international recognition in January 2020 when it was included among Nigerian words and expressions added to the Oxford English Dictionary.
But behind the familiar word is the story of Okada Town, located in Ovia North-East Local Government Area of Edo State, and the now-defunct Okada Air, founded in 1983 by Chief Gabriel Osawaru Igbinedion, the Esama of Benin Kingdom.
Okada Air operated from Benin City and became one of Nigeria’s prominent private airlines before eventually ceasing operations in 1997. The airline itself was named after Okada, the hometown of its owner.
How did an airline’s name become synonymous with motorcycles?
According to widely circulated accounts of the word’s history, commercial motorcycle operators in Nigeria, particularly in Benin City, became associated with the name “Okada” because of the speed and ability of the motorcycles to manoeuvre through traffic—qualities Nigerians associated with Okada Air.
The nickname eventually became so popular that “okada” came to be used generally for commercial motorcycles.
The Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary now defines okada as a motorcycle used as a taxi and gives its word origin as probably coming from Okada Air, which operated in Nigeria during the 1980s and 1990s.
There is also a local Edo account linking the name of Okada Town to the Edo words “Oke” and “Ada,” interpreted as referring to the hilltop of River Ada. While this etymology is part of local historical and cultural narratives, it is not the etymology currently given by Oxford’s dictionary entry.
Okada Town and its place in Nigeria’s history
Beyond its connection to the popular word, Okada Town has its own place in Nigeria’s educational history.
The town is home to Igbinedion University, Okada, established by Chief Gabriel Igbinedion and recognised as Nigeria’s first private university. The university itself describes Igbinedion as a native of Okada Town and identifies the institution as the first private university in Nigeria.
Thus, the name “Okada” carries a history that extends beyond motorcycles. It is connected to an Edo community, a pioneering Nigerian private airline and one of the country’s earliest private universities.
From local identity to global English
The addition of “okada” to the Oxford English Dictionary in January 2020 marked another milestone in the journey of the word.
It was among 29 Nigerian words and expressions added during the January update, alongside words such as danfo, buka, mama put, Kannywood, tokunbo and gist. Oxford said many of the additions were borrowings from Nigerian languages or unique Nigerian coinages that had entered Nigerian English during the second half of the 20th century.
What makes “okada” particularly fascinating is the journey of its meaning: from the name of an Edo town, to the name of a Nigerian airline, and eventually to a common term for commercial motorcycles.
Today, millions of Nigerians use the word without necessarily knowing the history behind it.
But whenever someone says “I’ll take an okada,” they are, perhaps unknowingly, invoking a piece of Edo and Nigerian history that has travelled from Okada Town to the Oxford English Dictionary.
Credit:Edo History
