The Busa-Bisa of Nigeria

The Busa-Bisa of Nigeria, numbering approximately 19,500 people, are Engaged yet Unreached. They are described as the earliest rulers of the Borgu region, predating the Kisira migration whose leaders later made a pact and intermarried with the Boko-Busa at shared centers in Bussa, Nikki, and Illo, with neighboring Fulbe historically herding cattle on their behalf They are an Indigenous people, with Busa-Bisa as their ethnic/kinship group and are in the Mande people cluster of the Sub-Saharan African Peoples. Their primary religion is Folk Islam. They primarily speak Busa.

Photo by Google. (2025). Image generated by Gemini 2.5 Flash: Busa-Bisa

Fast Facts:

Affinity Group: Sub-Saharan African Peoples
Country: Nigeria
People Cluster: Mande
Primary Language(s): Busa (bqp)
Primary Religion(s): Folk Islam
Population: 19,500
Strategic Progress Index (SPI): Engaged yet Unreached
Global Status of Evangelical Christianity (GSEC): Less than 2% Evangelical, No Recent CP Activity
People Group ID: PG013706
View on Joshua Project

Pray for the Busa-Bisa 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: Folk Islam
Religious Affiliation: Islam

54%
%
Folk Islam Adherents

Dig Deeper (Language):

Primary Language: Busa
Language Family: Mande

91%
%
Bisã Speakers

Media Resources in Busa:

Films:

No film resources are listed for this language.

Bible Resources in Busa:

Bible Name (Translation)VideoAudioText
SIM Nigeria, 2005✓✓✓

1 entry

Or check out the Busa bible at Bible.com

Linked from YouVersion

SPI: Unreached yet Engaged

The Busa-Bisa are Engaged yet Unreached, which means there are less than 2% evangelical Christian populations but there are sustained efforts at establishing self-sustaining churches consistent with evangelical faith and practice.

Next steps for the Busa-Bisa:
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

Pray specifically for the Busa-Bisa of Nigeria

And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.
readMatthew 24:14

Pray that the message of hope will reach those who are wandering in darkness, offering them a path to eternal life.

Lead me in your truth and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation; for you I wait all the day long.
readPsalm 25:5

Pray that the gospel will advance and that God will lead people in His truth, bringing many to salvation.

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
readPsalm 23:4

Pray that as people place their faith in Christ, they will trust in the Lord's presence, even in the darkest valleys.

For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.
readEphesians 6:12

Ask God to give those He sends to cross cultures the discernment they need to recognize the spiritual battle they are fighting. Pray God will protect their faith as they abide in Him.

Busa-Bisa Across Countries (ROP3 - 101794) 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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