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People group profile · PG013118

The Niaboua of Côte d’Ivoire

The Niaboua of Côte d’Ivoire, numbering about 88,000 people, are Engaged yet Unreached. They are a Kru people of west-central Ivory Coast around Daloa and Soubre, whose oral tradition recounts their arrival from Liberia in the 15th century fleeing war, speaking a language within the broader Wee dialect continuum.

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

Pray for the NiabouaPrint profile

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

Fast facts

Country
Cote d’Ivoire
Population
88,000
Affinity group
Sub-Saharan African Peoples
People cluster
Kru
Primary language
Nyabwa (nwb)
Primary religion
Animism
Strategic Progress Index
Engaged yet Unreached
Evangelical
Less than 2%
GSEC
Less than 2% Evangelical, No Recent CP Activity
Lostness priority
Expanding Unreached People Group
Region
Western Africa, Africa

Where they live

Gospel status

The Niaboua 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 Niaboua

  • 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

60% adherents

Primary language

Nyabwa · Kru family

100% speak Nyabwa

Gospel resources in Nyabwa

  • Bible available, published 2013
  • 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 Niaboua

  1. 2 Timothy 2:2. Pray for faithful local leaders who will teach others, so that the church multiplies.
  2. Ephesians 5:8. Pray that those walking in darkness will turn to the light and live as children of light.
  3. Romans 10:14–15. Ask God to send messengers, so that people can hear, believe and call on the name of the Lord.
  4. Matthew 9:37–38. Ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest field.

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