The Bafanji of Cameroon

The Bafanji of Cameroon, numbering approximately 27,500 people, are Engaged yet Unreached. They are a Grassfields fondom of Cameroon's Ndop Plain descended from the Fielungwe Mamgie who absorbed the neighboring Toukung people, ruled by a hereditary fon under patrilineal Tikar-descended tradition since before German annexation in 1884. They mostly adhere to Folk Islam and Bafanji is their primary language.

Photo by Google. (2025). Image generated by Gemini 2.5 Flash: Bafanji

Fast Facts:

Affinity Group: Sub-Saharan African Peoples
Country: Cameroon
People Cluster: Bantu, Cameroon-Bamileke
Primary Language(s): Bafanji (bfj)
Primary Religion(s): Folk Islam
Population: 27,500
Strategic Progress Index (SPI): Engaged yet Unreached
Global Status of Evangelical Christianity (GSEC): Less than 2% Evangelical, No Recent CP Activity
People Group ID: PG012484
View on Joshua Project

Pray for the Bafanji of Cameroon

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

—
%
Folk Islam Adherents

Dig Deeper (Language):

Primary Language: Bafanji
Language Family: Atlantic-Congo

100%
%
Chufie’ Speakers

Media Resources in Bafanji:

Films:

No film resources are listed for this language.

Bible Resources in Bafanji:

No Bible resources are listed for this language.

Or check out the Bafanji bible at Bible.com

Linked from YouVersion

SPI: Unreached yet Engaged

The Bafanji 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 Bafanji:
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 Bafanji of Cameroon

We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.
readRomans 6:4

Pray that those who need to surrender their lives to Christ will confess their sins and trust in Him, being united with Him in His death and resurrection, walking in newness of life.

Now therefore, O kings, be wise; be warned, O rulers of the earth. Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling.
readPsalm 2:10-11

Pray for the rulers and authorities here to seek the Lord and serve Him only. Pray that the people they lead will be amazed by the work of God in their lives.

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.

Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.
readIsaiah 43:19

Praise the God who is able to make a way forward, even when it seems impossible. Ask Him to do a new thing among this people group specifically and among the nations, raising up believers to go and share the gospel with individuals and places where it has not flourished before.

Bafanji Across Countries (ROP3 - 100729) 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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