People group profile · PG013260
The Ife of Benin
The Ife of Benin, numbering about 254,000 people, are Engaged yet Unreached. They are a Yoruba-speaking people of Benin who, like related Togo communities, call themselves Ife rather than Yoruba, tracing origin to the sacred city of Ile-Ife and including descendants of 17th-century war refugees who founded communities such as Atakpame.
They are an indigenous people in the Yoruba people cluster of the Sub-Saharan African Peoples. Their primary religion is Animism, and they primarily speak Ifè.
Fast facts
- Country
- Benin
- Population
- 254,000
- Affinity group
- Sub-Saharan African Peoples
- People cluster
- Yoruba
- Primary language
- Ifè (ife)
- 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 Ife 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 Ife
- 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
65% adherents
Primary language
Ifè · Atlantic-Congo family
100% speak Ifè
Gospel resources in Ifè
- Bible available
- JESUS Film available
- Radio programs not available
- Gospel recordings available
- Audio resources available
- Bible stories not available
Films
- JESUS (Ife)
Bibles
- 2009 Wycliffe Bible Translators, Inc. · video, audio, text
Find more at the JESUS Film Project, Bible.com and Faith Comes by Hearing.
Pray for the Ife
- 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.
Ife in other countries
The same people (ROP3 103957) is reported in 1 other country.
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