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People group profile · PG012763

The Oku of Cameroon

The Oku of Cameroon, numbering about 150,000 people, are No Longer Unreached. They are a Tikar-descended people of Cameroon's Bui Division whose Oku fondom split from the Nso dynasty, founded around 1299 by Princess Wou-Ten at Kimi, with the Fon of Oku historically installed as a Nso prince, renowned today for woodcarving and beadwork.

They are an indigenous people in the Bantu, Cameroon-Bamileke people cluster of the Sub-Saharan African Peoples. Their primary religion is Protestantism, and they primarily speak Oku.

Pray for the OkuPrint profile

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

Fast facts

Country
Cameroon
Population
150,000
Affinity group
Sub-Saharan African Peoples
People cluster
Bantu, Cameroon-Bamileke
Primary language
Oku (oku)
Primary religion
Protestantism
Strategic Progress Index
No Longer Unreached
Evangelical
5% or Greater but Less than 10%
GSEC
5% or Greater but Less than 10% Evangelical
Lostness priority
Moderately Reached People Group
Region
Middle Africa, Africa
Location
North West region: Bui division, west Jakiri subdivision, Lake Oku and Mount Oku areas

Where they live

Gospel status

The Oku are No Longer Unreached, which means 2% or more are evangelical Christians. In GSEC terms, this people group is greater than or equal to 5% evangelical.

  • Congregations exist Yes
  • Church planting in the last two years No Churches Planted

Next steps for the Oku

  • Pray for the churches among this group to grow in faithfulness and maturity
  • Equip believers to reach the unreached peoples around them
  • Send out laborers from this people to the nations

Primary religion

Protestantism · Christianity

Primary language

Oku · Atlantic-Congo family

100% speak Oku

Gospel resources in Oku

  • Bible available, published 2012
  • JESUS Film available
  • Radio programs not available
  • Gospel recordings available
  • Audio resources available
  • Bible stories not available

Films

Bibles

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

Pray for the Oku

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

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