Hausa is a Chadic language, related to several ethnic languages of the peoples of sub-Saharan Africa. About 25 million speak it as a native tongue and 18 million more speak and understand some Hausa. The Hausa people live mainly in Niger and in Northern Nigeria. However, Hausa is used as a kind of lingua franca in West Africa and Central Africa, especially by Muslims. Due to its importance beyond the ethnic boundaries of the Hausa people, it is taught in colleges and universities in Africa, and is a language used by news media for broadcasts and publications.