The Gwandara of Nigeria

The Gwandara of Nigeria, numbering approximately 54,000 people, are Engaged yet Unreached. They are descendants of pre-Islamic Hausa who split from Kano-area society under the legendary founder Barbushe, dispersing into over a hundred villages across central Nigeria while keeping traditional religion instead of the Islam that later defined the Hausa. They mostly adhere to Animism and Gwandara is their primary language.

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

Fast Facts:

Affinity Group: Sub-Saharan African Peoples
Country: Nigeria
People Cluster: Chadic
Primary Language(s): Gwandara (gwn)
Primary Religion(s): Animism
Population: 54,000
Strategic Progress Index (SPI): Engaged yet Unreached
Global Status of Evangelical Christianity (GSEC): Less than 2% Evangelical, No Recent CP Activity
People Group ID: PG013823
View on Joshua Project

Pray for the Gwandara 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: Animism
Religious Affiliation: Ethnoreligion

86%
%
Animism Adherents

Dig Deeper (Language):

Primary Language: Gwandara
Language Family: Afro-Asiatic

100%
%
Gwandara Speakers

Media Resources in Gwandara:

Films:

No film resources are listed for this language.

Bible Resources in Gwandara:

No Bible resources are listed for this language.

Or check out the Gwandara bible at Bible.com

Linked from YouVersion

SPI: Unreached yet Engaged

The Gwandara 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 Gwandara:
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 Gwandara of Nigeria

If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
read1 John 1:9

Pray that God, who is faithful and just, will open the eyes of those who are lost and draw them to confess their sins and trust in Him to grant forgiveness.

"O righteous Father, even though the world does not know you, I know you, and these know that you have sent me."
readJohn 17:25

Pray that the lost will come to know the Father and Jesus Christ, whom He has sent, and that they will be filled with His love and grace.

For you are great and do wondrous things; you alone are God. Teach me your way, O Lord, that I may walk in your truth; unite my heart to fear your name.
readPsalm 86:10-11

Pray that as people place their faith in Christ, they will trust in the Lord with all their heart, knowing that He is the one true God and will teach them His ways.

The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him.
readJohn 1:9-10

Pray for those God might send to share the gospel here. Ask that they will grow closer to Jesus and be compelled to share His good news with people who don't know it.

Gwandara Across Countries (ROP3 - 103609) 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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