People group profile · PG014086
The Puku of Nigeria
The Puku of Nigeria, numbering about 84,500 people, are Engaged yet Unreached. They are a Plateau people of Nigeria's Sokoto State whose ancestors served as soldiers for the Kingdom of Kebbi during its 1700s war with Zamfara, later founding their own kingdom and resisting subsequent Fulani slave raids.
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 ut-Ma'in.
Fast facts
- Country
- Nigeria
- Population
- 84,500
- Affinity group
- Sub-Saharan African Peoples
- People cluster
- Benue
- Primary language
- ut-Ma'in (gel)
- 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 Puku 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 Puku
- 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
83% adherents
Primary language
ut-Ma'in · Atlantic-Congo family
100% speak ut-Ma'in
Gospel resources in ut-Ma'in
- Bible available, published 2009
- JESUS Film available
- Radio programs not available
- Gospel recordings available
- Audio resources available
- Bible stories not available
Films
- JESUS (Fakai)
Find more at the JESUS Film Project, Bible.com and Faith Comes by Hearing.
Pray for the Puku
- 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.
- Matthew 9:37–38. Ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest field.
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