People group profile · PG014182
The Yala of Nigeria
The Yala of Nigeria, numbering about 313,000 people, are No Longer Unreached. They are an offshoot of the Idoma people who migrated from the Benue River Basin to settle Nigeria's Cross River State, sharing the same dialect and calling themselves Onwahripu, with an annual festival honoring the yam harvest.
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 Yala.
Fast facts
- Country
- Nigeria
- Population
- 313,000
- Affinity group
- Sub-Saharan African Peoples
- People cluster
- Benue
- Primary language
- Yala (yba)
- 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 Yala 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 Yala
- 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
53% adherents
Primary language
Yala · Atlantic-Congo family
100% speak Yala
Gospel resources in Yala
- Bible available, published -
- JESUS Film available
- Radio programs not available
- Gospel recordings available
- Audio resources available
- Bible stories not available
Films
- JESUS (Yala)
Bibles
- Bible Society of Nigeria, 1979 · video
Find more at the JESUS Film Project, Bible.com and Faith Comes by Hearing.
Pray for the Yala
- 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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