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People group profile · PG013990

The Mafa of Nigeria

The Mafa of Nigeria, numbering about 10,000 people, are No Longer Unreached. They are a Mandara Mountains people also known natively as Mofa, formed from the merger of the Mafahay and Bulahay tribes, farming red sorghum and millet on stone-terraced hillside plots topped with distinctive conical Sare roofs.

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

Pray for the MafaPrint profile

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

Fast facts

Country
Nigeria
Population
10,000
Affinity group
Sub-Saharan African Peoples
People cluster
Chadic
Primary language
Mafa (maf)
Primary religion
Animism
Strategic Progress Index ?
No Longer Unreached
Evangelical
2% or Greater but Less than 5%
GSEC ?
2% or Greater but Less than 5% Evangelical
Lostness priority ?
Marginally Reached People Group
Region
Western Africa, Africa

Where they live

Gospel status

The Mafa are No Longer Unreached, which means 2% or more are evangelical Christians. In GSEC terms, this people group is greater than or equal to 2% evangelical.

  • Congregations exist Yes
  • Church planting in the last two years No Churches Planted

Next steps for the Mafa

  • 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

88% adherents

Primary language

Mafa · Afro-Asiatic family

100% speak Mafa

Gospel resources in Mafa

  • Bible available
  • 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 Mafa

  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.

Download a prayer guide

Mafa in other countries

The same people is also reported in 1 other country.

People groupCountryPopulationStatus
MafaCameroon386,000No Longer Unreached

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