People group profile · PG012305
The Anii of Benin
The Anii of Benin, numbering about 99,500 people, are Engaged yet Unreached. They are a community centered on the town of Bassila in Benin's Donga department alongside migrant Yoruba and Tem communities, speaking a vulnerable Ghana-Togo Mountain language also known as Basila or Gisida.
They are an indigenous people in the Guinean people cluster of the Sub-Saharan African Peoples. Their primary religion is Folk Islam, and they primarily speak Anii.
Fast facts
- Country
- Benin
- Population
- 99,500
- Affinity group
- Sub-Saharan African Peoples
- People cluster
- Guinean
- Primary language
- Anii (blo)
- Primary religion
- Folk Islam
- Strategic Progress Index
- Engaged yet Unreached
- Evangelical
- Less than 2%
- GSEC
- Less than 2% Evangelical, No Recent CP Activity
- Lostness priority
- Frontier Unreached People Group
- Also known as
- Makɔ‑Makua, Bakɔ‑Bakua
- Region
- Western Africa, Africa
Where they live
Gospel status
The Anii are Engaged yet Unreached, which means fewer than 2% are evangelical Christians, but there are sustained efforts to establish self-sustaining churches consistent with evangelical faith and practice. In GSEC terms, this people group is less than 2% evangelical, some evangelical resources are available, but there has been no active church planting among them within the past two years.
- Congregations exist Yes
- Church planting in the last two years No Churches Planted
Next steps for the Anii
- Continue prayer and fasting for this group
- Continue gospel seed sowing and church planting among this group
- Begin training up local leaders to lead and develop strategies to reach their own people
Primary religion
Folk Islam · Islam
80% adherents
Primary language
Anii · Atlantic-Congo family
100% speak Anii
Gospel resources in Anii
- Bible available, published 2019
- JESUS Film not available
- Radio programs not available
- Gospel recordings available
- Audio resources available
- Bible stories available
Find more at the JESUS Film Project, Bible.com and Faith Comes by Hearing.
Pray for the Anii
- John 17:3. Pray that many will come to know the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom he has sent.
- Psalm 27:1. Pray that new believers will be strengthened in the face of persecution, with the Lord as their stronghold.
- Romans 12:4–5. Pray that believers from many cultures will work together as one body so that the church is built up.
- Revelation 7:9. Pray for the day when people from this group stand before the throne with every nation, tribe, people and language.
Basila (Anii) in other countries
The same people (ROP3 101101) is reported in 1 other country.
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