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

For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
readRomans 6:23

Pray that those who do know about God's free gift will hear and believe that the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord and that they will joyfully accept this gift.

Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name; bring an offering, and come into his courts!
readPsalm 96:8

Pray for people here to humbly give God the glory due His name.

Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.
readLuke 18:17

Pray that as people trust in Christ, they will have simple, childlike confidence that He will provide for their needs.

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD forever.
readPsalm 23:6

Ask God to raise up believers who will share the hope that, for those who trust in Christ, goodness and love will follow them all the days of their lives, and they will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

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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