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The Mgbo of Nigeria

The Mgbo of Nigeria, numbering approximately 268,000 people, are No Longer Unreached. They are an Igboid people indigenous to northern Ebonyi State, centered in Ohaukwu and neighboring Benue communities, whose Mgbolizhia language distinguishes them from closely related Izii, Ezza, and Ikwo peoples. They mostly adhere to Protestantism and Mgbolizhia is their primary language.

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

Fast Facts:

Affinity Group: Sub-Saharan African Peoples
Country: Nigeria
People Cluster: Igbo
Primary Language(s): Mgbolizhia (gmz)
Primary Religion(s): Protestantism
Population: 268,000
Strategic Progress Index (SPI): No Longer Unreached
Global Status of Evangelical Christianity (GSEC): 2% or Greater but Less than 5% Evangelical
People Group ID: PG013998
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Pray for the Mgbo 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.

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Dig Deeper (Religion):

Primary Religion: Protestantism
Religious Affiliation: Christianity

93%
%
Protestantism Adherents

Dig Deeper (Language):

Primary Language: Mgbolizhia
Language Family: Atlantic-Congo

100%
%
Mgbolizhia Speakers

Media Resources in Mgbolizhia:

Films:
TitleLink
JESUSView Film

1 film

Provided by the Jesus Film Project

View all resources

Bible Resources in Mgbolizhia:

No Bible resources are listed for this language.

Provided by Faith Comes by Hearing

Or check out the Mgbolizhia bible at Bible.com

Linked from YouVersion

View all resources

SPI: No longer Unreached

The Mgbo 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 Mgbo:
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 Mgbo of Nigeria

Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
readMatthew 11:28

Pray for those who are tired, weary, and burdened by the weight of sin to encounter Jesus and experience the rest that only He can give.

Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. “Honor your father and mother” (this is the first commandment with a promise).
readEphesians 6:1-2

Pray that God will bring young men and women to faith in Jesus and that the fruit of their faith will be a powerful testimony as they honor their parents.

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.
readEphesians 6:10-11

Pray that as people place their faith in Christ, they will grow strong in His power, putting on the full armor of God, which will enable them to stand against the devil’s lies.

Oh, magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt his name together!
readPsalm 34:3

Pray that God will raise up believers who will go to those in this people group who do not yet follow Jesus, and that they will invite many to magnify the Lord with them so that His fame will spread to the ends of the earth.

Mgbo Across Countries (ROP3 - 106582) reported in the following countries:

Strategic Progress Index
All

1 people group

PhotoPeople Group IDNameCountryPopulation ▼Strategic Progress IndexLanguageReligion
MgboPG013998MgboNigeria268,000No Longer UnreachedMgbolizhiaProtestantism

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

Peoplegroups.org relies on updates from the field and other organizations for much of our data, so if you have any updates, please contact us. We use various international naming standards. For a list of these standards and fields, visit our Data Standards section.

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