The Dong of Nigeria

The Dong of Nigeria, numbering approximately 10,500 people, are Engaged yet Unreached. They are a people of northeastern Nigeria associated with Adamawa and Taraba states, whose Dong language belongs to the Dakoid branch of Niger-Congo. They mostly adhere to Ethnoreligion and Dong is their primary language.

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

Fast Facts:

Affinity Group: Sub-Saharan African Peoples
Country: Nigeria
People Cluster: Benue
Primary Language(s): Dong (doh)
Primary Religion(s): Ethnoreligion
Population: 10,500
Strategic Progress Index (SPI): Engaged yet Unreached
Global Status of Evangelical Christianity (GSEC): Less than 2% Evangelical, No Recent CP Activity
People Group ID: PG013744
View on Joshua Project

Pray for the Dong 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: Ethnoreligion
Religious Affiliation: Ethnoreligion

59%
%
Ethnoreligion Adherents

Dig Deeper (Language):

Primary Language: Dong
Language Family: Atlantic-Congo

100%
%
Dong Speakers

Media Resources in Dong:

Films:

No film resources are listed for this language.

Bible Resources in Dong:

No Bible resources are listed for this language.

Or check out the Dong bible at Bible.com

Linked from YouVersion

SPI: Unreached yet Engaged

The Dong 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 Dong:
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 Dong of Nigeria

How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching?
readRomans 10:14

Pray that those who haven't heard will hear the Word of Christ and believe in Him, calling upon the name of the Lord to be saved.

So his fame spread throughout all Syria, and they brought him all the sick, those afflicted with various diseases and pains, those oppressed by demons, those having seizures, and paralytics, and he healed them
readMatthew 4:24

Pray that the truth about the Lord will spread throughout the land so that many will have an opportunity to receive the good news and put their faith in Him.

Remember the wondrous works that he has done, his miracles, and the judgments he uttered.
readPsalm 105:5

Pray that as people place their faith in Christ, they will rejoice as they remember His wonders, miracles, and perfect judgements.

I do it all for the sake of the gospel, that I may share with them in its blessing.
read1 Corinthians 9:23

Ask God to give believers a deep desire to share the gospel with those who don't know the truth about God's redemption plan, and to provide them with opportunities to do so cross-culturally.

Dong Across Countries (ROP3 - 102704) 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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