The Busa-Bisa of Nigeria

The Busa-Bisa of Nigeria, numbering approximately 19,500 people, are Engaged yet Unreached. They are 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 mostly adhere to Folk Islam and Busa is their primary language.

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

For at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light.
readEphesians 5:8

Pray that those who are lost will turn from the darkness they are walking in and embrace the light, becoming children of light who bear fruit in every good work.

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.

And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.
readPhilippians 1:6

Pray that as people place their faith in Christ, they will be assured that God will complete the good work He has begun in them until the day of Christ's return.

Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest."
readMatthew 9:37-38

Pray that the Lord of the harvest will raise up believers to send out into His harvest field, which is ripe and ready.

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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