The Dghwede of Nigeria

The Dghwede of Nigeria, numbering approximately 86,000 people, are No Longer Unreached. They are an Indigenous Chadic people of the Gwoza Hills of northeastern Nigeria whose identity is rooted in mountain settlements, descent traditions linked to the ancestor Dghwede, and a distinct Dghwede language within the wider Mandara region. They mostly adhere to Animism and Dghwede is their primary language.

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

Fast Facts:

Affinity Group: Sub-Saharan African Peoples
Country: Nigeria
People Cluster: Chadic
Primary Language(s): Dghwede (dgh)
Primary Religion(s): Animism
Population: 86,000
Strategic Progress Index (SPI): No Longer Unreached
Global Status of Evangelical Christianity (GSEC): 2% or Greater but Less than 5% Evangelical
People Group ID: PG013737
View on Joshua Project

Pray for the Dghwede 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

70%
%
Animism Adherents

Dig Deeper (Language):

Primary Language: Dghwede
Language Family: Afro-Asiatic

100%
%
Dghwede Speakers

Media Resources in Dghwede:

Films:

No film resources are listed for this language.

Bible Resources in Dghwede:

No Bible resources are listed for this language.

Or check out the Dghwede bible at Bible.com

Linked from YouVersion

SPI: No longer Unreached

The Dghwede 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 Dghwede:
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 Dghwede of Nigeria

Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you!
readPsalm 67:3

Pray that those who are lost and unaware of God's blessings will come to know Him as the one true God, put their trust in Him, and join in praising Him among the nations.

The LORD watches over the sojourners; he upholds the widow and the fatherless, but the way of the wicked he brings to ruin.
readPsalm 146:9

Pray for God to watch over people, wherever they are, and cause them to meet believers who will share the gospel with them clearly and lovingly.

Praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.
readActs 2:47

Pray that as people place their faith in Christ, God will use their faith and their church community as a testimony to the watching world and grow His Church.

Come, bless the LORD, all you servants of the LORD, who stand by night in the house of the LORD!
readPsalm 134:1

Pray that God will raise up believers among them who are in awe of Him and that, in service to Him, they will share the gospel with others so that they too may bless the Lord!

Dghwede Across Countries (ROP3 - 102547) 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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