People group profile · PG013122
The Nzema of Côte d’Ivoire
The Nzema of Côte d’Ivoire, numbering about 138,000 people, are Engaged yet Unreached. They are an Akan people whose language preserves an earlier form of Akan speech, spanning both southwestern Ghana and southeastern Ivory Coast as one people, organized through matrilineal descent for inheritance and political succession.
They are an indigenous people in the Guinean people cluster of the Sub-Saharan African Peoples. Their primary religion is Ethnoreligion, and they primarily speak Nzima.
Fast facts
- Country
- Cote d’Ivoire
- Population
- 138,000
- Affinity group
- Sub-Saharan African Peoples
- People cluster
- Guinean
- Primary language
- Nzima (nzi)
- Primary religion
- Ethnoreligion
- 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 Nzema 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 Nzema
- 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
Primary language
Nzima · Atlantic-Congo family
100% speak Nzima
Gospel resources in Nzima
- Bible available
- JESUS Film available
- Radio programs not available
- Gospel recordings available
- Audio resources available
- Bible stories not available
Films
- JESUS (Nzema)
Bibles
- 1999 Bible Society of Ghana · video, audio, text
Find more at the JESUS Film Project, Bible.com and Faith Comes by Hearing.
Pray for the Nzema
- Romans 10:14–15. Ask God to send messengers, so that people can hear, believe and call on the name of the Lord.
- 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.
Nzema in other countries
The same people (ROP3 100420) is reported in 1 other country.
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