People group profile · PG014441
The Shuwa Arabs of Nigeria
The Shuwa Arabs of Nigeria, numbering about 237,000 people, are Engaged yet Unreached. They are a nomadic confederation of people of mixed Arab and Arabized indigenous African ancestry, inhabiting a portion of the Sahel mainly between Lake Chad and the Nile river near south Kordofan.
They are a diaspora people in the Arab, Shuwa people cluster of the Arab Peoples. Their primary religion is Folk Islam, and they primarily speak Chadian Arabic.
Fast facts
- Country
- Nigeria
- Population
- 237,000
- Affinity group
- Sub-Saharan African Peoples
- People cluster
- Arab, Shuwa
- Primary language
- Chadian Arabic (shu)
- Primary religion
- Folk Islam
- Strategic Progress Index
- Engaged yet Unreached
- Evangelical
- Less than 2%
- GSEC
- Less than 2% Evangelical, No Recent CP Activity
- Lostness priority
- Frontier Unreached People Group
- Region
- Western Africa, Africa
Where they live
Gospel status
The Shuwa Arabs 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 No
- Church planting in the last two years No Churches Planted
Next steps for the Shuwa Arabs
- 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
Folk Islam · Islam
99% adherents
Primary language
Chadian Arabic · Afro-Asiatic family
100% speak Chadian Arabic
Gospel resources in Chadian Arabic
- Bible available
- JESUS Film available
- Radio programs not available
- Gospel recordings available
- Audio resources available
- Bible stories not available
Bibles
- Alliance Biblique du Tchad · audio
- Bible Society of Chad 2012 · video, audio
Find more at the JESUS Film Project, Bible.com and Faith Comes by Hearing.
Pray for the Shuwa Arabs
- John 17:3. Pray that many will come to know the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom he has sent.
- Psalm 27:1. Pray that new believers will be strengthened in the face of persecution, with the Lord as their stronghold.
- Romans 12:4–5. Pray that believers from many cultures will work together as one body so that the church is built up.
- Revelation 7:9. Pray for the day when people from this group stand before the throne with every nation, tribe, people and language.
Baggara, Shuwa Arab in other countries
The same people (ROP3 108972) is reported in 2 other countries.
| People group | Country | Population | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chadian Arabs | Chad | 2,010,000 | Engaged yet Unreached |
| Shuweihat | Sudan | 145,000 | Unengaged and Unreached |
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