People group profile · PG012364
The Yoruba of Benin
The Yoruba of Benin, numbering about 265,000 people, are Engaged yet Unreached. They are a West African ethnic group indigenous to Yorubaland, an are that spans the modern-day countries of Nigeria, Benin, and Togo.
They are an indigenous people in the Yoruba people cluster of the Sub-Saharan African Peoples. Their primary religion is African Traditional Religion, and they primarily speak Yoruba.
Fast facts
- Country
- Benin
- Population
- 265,000
- Affinity group
- Sub-Saharan African Peoples
- People cluster
- Yoruba
- Primary language
- Yoruba (yor)
- Primary religion
- African Traditional Religion
- Strategic Progress Index
- Engaged yet Unreached
- Evangelical
- Less than 2%
- GSEC
- Less than 2% Evangelical, No Recent CP Activity
- Lostness priority
- Pioneer Unreached People Group
- Region
- Western Africa, Africa
Where they live
Gospel status
The Yoruba 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 Yoruba
- 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
African Traditional Religion · Ethnoreligion
90% adherents
Primary language
Yoruba · Atlantic-Congo family
100% speak Yoruba
Gospel resources in Yoruba
- Bible available
- JESUS Film available
- Radio programs available
- Gospel recordings available
- Audio resources available
- Bible stories not available
Films
- JESUS (Yoruba)
Bibles
- 2004 Bible Society of Nigeria · audio
- 2012 Bible Society of Nigeria · audio
- Yoruba Contemporary Bible · video
Find more at the JESUS Film Project, Bible.com and Faith Comes by Hearing.
Pray for the Yoruba
- Matthew 9:37–38. Ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest field.
- 2 Timothy 2:2. Pray for faithful local leaders who will teach others, so that the church multiplies.
- Ephesians 5:8. Pray that those walking in darkness will turn to the light and live as children of light.
- Romans 10:14–15. Ask God to send messengers, so that people can hear, believe and call on the name of the Lord.
Yoruba in other countries
The same people (ROP3 111095) is reported in 10 other countries.
| People group | Country | Population | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yoruba | Nigeria | 48,830,000 | No Longer Unreached |
| Yoruba | Ghana | 531,000 | No Longer Unreached |
| Yoruba | United States | 152,000 | No Longer Unreached |
| Yoruba | Cote d’Ivoire | 150,000 | No Longer Unreached |
| Yoruba | Togo | 143,000 | No Longer Unreached |
| Yoruba | Equatorial Guinea | 130,000 | No Longer Unreached |
| Yoruba | Niger | 90,000 | No Longer Unreached |
| Yoruba | Burkina Faso | 85,000 | No Longer Unreached |
| Yoruba | Canada | 10,500 | No Longer Unreached |
| Yoruba | Sierra Leone | 7,400 | No Longer Unreached |
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