Ife of Benin (PGID: PG013260)

The Ife of Benin

The Ife of Benin, numbering approximately 255,000 people, are Engaged yet Unreached. They are a Yoruba-speaking people of Benin who, like related Togo communities, call themselves Ife rather than Yoruba, tracing origin to the sacred city of Ile-Ife and including descendants of 17th-century war refugees who founded communities such as Atakpame. They mostly adhere to Animism and Ifè is their primary language.

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

Fast Facts:

Affinity Group: Sub-Saharan African Peoples
Country: Benin
People Cluster: Yoruba
Primary Language(s): Ifè (ife)
Primary Religion(s): Animism
Population: 255,000
Strategic Progress Index (SPI): Engaged yet Unreached
Global Status of Evangelical Christianity (GSEC): Less than 2% Evangelical, No Recent CP Activity
People Group ID: PG013260
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Pray for the Ife 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.

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Dig Deeper (Religion):

Primary Religion: Animism
Religious Affiliation: Ethnoreligion

65%

Animism Adherents

Dig Deeper (Language):

Primary Language: Ifè
Language Family: Atlantic-Congo

100%

Ifè Speakers

Media Resources in Ifè:

Films:

Title	Link
JESUS	View Film

1 film

Provided by the Jesus Film Project

View all resources

Bible Resources in Ifè:

Bible Name (Translation)	Video	Audio	Text
2009 Wycliffe Bible Translators, Inc.	✓	✓	✓

1 entry

Provided by Faith Comes by Hearing

Or check out the Ifè bible at Bible.com

Linked from YouVersion

View all resources

SPI: Unreached yet Engaged

The Ife 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 Ife:

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 Ife of Benin

For who is God, but the LORD? And who is a rock, except our God?
Psalm 18:31

As people look to their own efforts for hope, pray they will have the opportunity to learn and believe in the Lord, who is the only Rock worthy of their faith.

I saw in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven there came one like a son of man, and he came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before him. And to him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him; his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom one that shall not be destroyed.
Daniel 7:13-14

Pray that the gospel will advance so that all peoples will come to know the Son of Man, who has been given dominion and glory and a kingdom, and that they will bow before Him and serve Him forever.

But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed.
Isaiah 53:5

Pray that as people place their faith in Christ, they will find comfort and spiritual healing as they remember the wounds of Christ, who understands their suffering because He also walked through suffering on their behalf.

Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest."
Matthew 9:37-38

Pray that the Lord of the harvest will raise up believers to send out into His harvest field, which is ripe and ready.

Ife Across Countries (ROP3 - 103957) reported in the following countries:

Strategic Progress Index

All

Engaged yet Unreached UUPG No Longer Unreached

CountryReligion

2 people groups

Photo	People Group ID	Name	Country	Population	Strategic Progress Index	Language	Religion ▼
	PG014312	Ana	Togo	204,000	No Longer Unreached	Ifè	Ethnoreligion
	PG013260	Ife	Benin	255,000	Engaged yet Unreached	Ifè	Animism

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