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People group profile · PG013902

The Kana of Nigeria

The Kana of Nigeria, numbering about 493,000 people, are No Longer Unreached. They are an Ogoni people whose oral history traces a migration from Ghana led by a woman named Gbenekwaanwaa, who brought warriors and spirit mediums by canoe to found Nama, giving rise to the Khana kingdom, the first of six Ogoni settlements.

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

Pray for the KanaPrint profile

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

Fast facts

Country
Nigeria
Population
493,000
Affinity group
Sub-Saharan African Peoples
People cluster
Benue
Primary language
Khana (ogo)
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
Marginally Reached People Group
Region
Western Africa, Africa

Where they live

Gospel status

The Kana 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 Kana

  • 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

96% adherents

Primary language

Khana · Atlantic-Congo family

100% speak Khana

Gospel resources in Khana

  • Bible available, published 2000
  • 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 Kana

  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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