The Mina of Benin

The Mina of Benin, numbering approximately 228,000 people, are Engaged yet Unreached. They are a Gen-Mina people whose ancestors fled Ghana's Denkyira and Akwamu wars from Elmina and Accra to merge along the Togo-Benin coast between Agbodrafo and Grand-Popo, taking the name Mina from the Portuguese word for mine, referencing their homeland's gold. They mostly adhere to Ethnoreligion and Gen is their primary language.

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

Fast Facts:

Affinity Group: Sub-Saharan African Peoples
Country: Benin
People Cluster: Guinean
Primary Language(s): Gen (gej)
Primary Religion(s): Ethnoreligion
Population: 228,000
Strategic Progress Index (SPI): Engaged yet Unreached
Global Status of Evangelical Christianity (GSEC): Less than 2% Evangelical, No Recent CP Activity
People Group ID: PG012341
View on Joshua Project

Pray for the Mina of Benin

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: Ethnoreligion
Religious Affiliation: Ethnoreligion

70%
%
Ethnoreligion Adherents

Dig Deeper (Language):

Primary Language: Gen
Language Family: Atlantic-Congo

100%
%
Gen Speakers

Media Resources in Gen:

Films:
TitleLink
JESUSView Film

1 film

Bible Resources in Gen:

Bible Name (Translation)VideoAudioText
2004 Bible Society of Togo✓✓

1 entry

Or check out the Gen bible at Bible.com

Linked from YouVersion

SPI: Unreached yet Engaged

The Mina 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 Mina:
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 Mina of Benin

In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.
readMatthew 5:16

Pray that those who are deceived about what brings peace will not settle for any lies they’ve heard about God and will diligently seek Him and be satisfied when they learn the truth about who He is and what He’s done.

Ascribe to the LORD, O families of the peoples, ascribe to the LORD glory and strength!
readPsalm 96:7

Pray that entire households will come to faith in Jesus and that God will bless their families with faith in Him for generations to come.

Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.
readPsalm 37:4

Pray that as people place their faith in Christ, they will delight themselves in the Lord, trusting Him to give them the desires of their hearts.

And through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.
readColossians 1:20

As believers cross cultures to tell others about Jesus, praise God for allowing them to be a part of His reconciling all things to Himself, asking Him to help them remember their role in His beautiful plan of salvation for others.

Mina, Ge Across Countries (ROP3 - 114980) reported in the following countries:

Strategic Progress Index
All

2 people groups

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

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