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Northern Nigerian campuses have their own dictionary — no cap. If you’re an Arewa student, chances are you use these slangs daily without even realizing how wild or funny they sound.

Here are 10 of the most common Arewa slangs and what they actually mean:

1. Wallahi

➡️ Universal expression — used to swear, emphasize, complain, or even start a gist.
Example: “Wallahi I no go class again!”

2. Kai!

➡️ Emotion-packed word. Depending on how you say it, it could mean anger, shock, or admiration.
Example: “Kai! This lecturer wahala no dey end!”

3. Yanzu yanzu

➡️ Literally means “right now”… but usually means “soonish” or “maybe later”.
Example: “I dey come yanzu yanzu.” (Spoiler: they won’t come soon.)

4. Lafiya?

➡️ Means “how are you?”, but if said twice with a face, it means “what’s your problem?”
Example: “Lafiya? Lafiya?”

5. Zaki

➡️ Used to describe someone sharp, clever, or cunning.
Example: “That guy too zaki abeg.”

6. Karyane

➡️ Translation: That’s a lie.
Often used with side-eye.
Example: “You read till 4am? Karyane.”

7. Haba!

➡️ Like “Come on!” Used when someone is doing too much.
Example: “Haba now, na only 5 minutes late I come!”

8. Oho

➡️ The Northern version of “na you sabi” or “whatever”.
Example: “No go read. Oho.”

9. A’a

➡️ It doesn’t just mean “no” — it means “No oh!” with full body language.
Example: “A’a! This exam hard die.”

10. Ina Wuni? / Ina Kwana?

➡️ Polite greetings for different times of day. But if your roommate says it, they probably want something. 😅

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Tag your coursemates and see who uses these slangs the most. 🫱🏽‍🫲🏾