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People group profile · PG013857

The Irigwe of Nigeria

The Irigwe of Nigeria, numbering about 97,000 people, are No Longer Unreached. They are an ethnolinguistic community of Nigeria.

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

Pray for the IrigwePrint profile

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

Fast facts

Country
Nigeria
Population
97,000
Affinity group
Sub-Saharan African Peoples
People cluster
Benue
Primary language
Rigwe (iri)
Primary religion
Animism
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
Western Africa, Africa

Where they live

Gospel status

The Irigwe 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 Irigwe

  • 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

Animism · Ethnoreligion

65% adherents

Primary language

Rigwe · Atlantic-Congo family

100% speak Rigwe

Gospel resources in Rigwe

  • Bible available, published 2015
  • 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 Irigwe

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

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