The Bali of Nigeria

The Bali of Nigeria, numbering approximately 5,400 people, are No Longer Unreached. They are a Niger-Congo-speaking community of Nigeria's Adamawa State, settled along the Jalingo road roughly 30 kilometers from Numan, whose language is known variously as Bali, Bibaali, or Maya among neighboring peoples of the middle Benue river region. They mostly adhere to Protestantism and Bali (Nigeria) is their primary language.

Photo by Google. (2026). Image generated by Gemini 2.5 Flash: Bali

Fast Facts:

Affinity Group: Sub-Saharan African Peoples
Country: Nigeria
People Cluster: Adamawa-Ubangi
Primary Language(s): Bali (Nigeria) (bcn)
Primary Religion(s): Protestantism
Population: 5,400
Strategic Progress Index (SPI): No Longer Unreached
Global Status of Evangelical Christianity (GSEC): 10% or Greater Evangelical
People Group ID: PG013660
View on Joshua Project

Pray for the Bali of Nigeria

Join others around the world in praying for the lost to be saved, the gospel to advance, the global Church to grow, and for laborers to be sent out and sustained in the harvest.

Dig Deeper (Religion):

Primary Religion: Protestantism
Religious Affiliation: Christianity

60%
%
Protestantism Adherents

Dig Deeper (Language):

Primary Language: Bali (Nigeria)
Language Family: Atlantic-Congo

100%
%
Bali (Nigeria) Speakers

Media Resources in Bali (Nigeria):

Films:

No film resources are listed for this language.

Bible Resources in Bali (Nigeria):

No Bible resources are listed for this language.

Or check out the Bali (Nigeria) bible at Bible.com

Linked from YouVersion

SPI: No longer Unreached

The Bali are No Longer Unreached, which means there are more than 2% evangelical Christian populations and there are churches consistent with evangelical faith and practice. There is still more to be done among them.

Next steps for the Bali:
Empower local believers to begin praying for their own people
Continue gospel seed sowing and church planting
Encourage local leaders to being leading church planting strategy and looking for Unreached and Unengaged groups nearby

Pray specifically for the Bali of Nigeria

For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth.
readRomans 1:18

Pray that God will have mercy and open the eyes of those who don't know Jesus, so that they can turn to the One who is able to save them from their sins.

This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.
read1 John 1:5

As mobile phones, radio, and satellite television, and other technologies become more available worldwide, pray for people who are developing digital gospel resources so that others can easily access the gospel.

For the LORD takes pleasure in his people; he adorns the humble with salvation.
readPsalm 149:4

Pray that as people place their faith in Christ, they will be encouraged and feel immeasurably loved as they meditate on the fact that God takes pleasure in them.

Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.
readEphesians 6:11

Pray that those God sends to cross cultures will put on the full armor of God so that they will be able to stand against the schemes of the enemy.

Maya (Bali) Across Countries (ROP3 - 100847) reported in the following countries:

Strategic Progress Index
All

1 people group

To download a comprehensive people group list in spreadsheet form, visit our Research Data page.

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