What it means
A classic Nigerian Pidgin greeting that has nothing to do with distance. It basically means what's up, how you dey, how things are going, all folded into two small words. You throw it out when you're greeting someone warm, in person or in a message, and the reply can be short too, like I dey or no wahala.
Usage examples
"How far na, I never see you since that wedding in Ibadan, abeg send me your number so we fit link up this weekend"
"How far, my guy, where you been hiding since the Wizkid concert in Lagos last December, your phone has been more silent than the danfo at three in the morning by the Lekki tollgate."
"How far now, Auntie Bola, I heard you finally moved the bakery from Surulere down to Lekki Phase One, hope all the regular customers are tracking you down with the bus and the new traffic patterns."
"How far bro, you dey come five-a-side later or today don carry you go somewhere else"
"How far sis, I saw your food pics and I'm not even joking, that jollof looked like trouble in the sweetest way"
Where it comes from
It comes from Nigerian Pidgin, where the English words how far got remixed into a casual greeting. Instead of asking about distance, it works like what's up or how are things. It's long been part of everyday Naija speech and spread further through diaspora talk, music, film, and online gist.
This expression also appears in