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People group profile · PG012333

The Ko of Benin

The Ko of Benin, numbering about 224,000 people, are Engaged yet Unreached. They are an ethnolinguistic community of Benin.

They are an indigenous people in the Guinean people cluster of the Sub-Saharan African Peoples. Their primary religion is Animism, and they primarily speak Kotafon Gbe.

Pray for the KoPrint profile

AI-generated illustration representing the Ko people
AI-generated illustration, not a photograph. Photo by Google. (2026). Image generated by Gemini 2.5 Flash: Kotafon

Fast facts

Country
Benin
Population
224,000
Affinity group
Sub-Saharan African Peoples
People cluster
Guinean
Primary language
Kotafon Gbe (kqk)
Primary religion
Animism
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
Region
Western Africa, Africa
Location
Mono Province: mainly Lokassa and Athieme subprefectures; Bopa Subprefecture north and south of bopa along Lake Aheme; Grand Popo Subprefecture, north of Grand-Popo, a few villages

Where they live

Gospel status

The Ko 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 Ko

  • 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

Animism · Ethnoreligion

93% adherents

Primary language

Kotafon Gbe · Atlantic-Congo family

70% speak Kotafon Gbe

Gospel resources in Kotafon Gbe

  • Bible not available
  • JESUS Film not available
  • Radio programs not available
  • Gospel recordings available
  • Audio resources not available
  • Bible stories not available

Find more at the JESUS Film Project, Bible.com and Faith Comes by Hearing.

Pray for the Ko

  1. Romans 12:4–5. Pray that believers from many cultures will work together as one body so that the church is built up.
  2. Revelation 7:9. Pray for the day when people from this group stand before the throne with every nation, tribe, people and language.
  3. John 17:3. Pray that many will come to know the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom he has sent.
  4. Psalm 27:1. Pray that new believers will be strengthened in the face of persecution, with the Lord as their stronghold.

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