The Isoko of Nigeria

The Isoko of Nigeria, numbering approximately 774,000 people, are No Longer Unreached. They are a people of nineteen autonomous clans in Nigeria's northwestern Niger Delta, whose ancestors arrived in four migratory waves from the ancient Benin Empire and eastern Nigeria beginning around 1600. They mostly adhere to Protestantism and Isoko is their primary language.

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

Fast Facts:

Affinity Group: Sub-Saharan African Peoples
Country: Nigeria
People Cluster: Benue
Primary Language(s): Isoko (iso)
Primary Religion(s): Protestantism
Population: 774,000
Strategic Progress Index (SPI): No Longer Unreached
Global Status of Evangelical Christianity (GSEC): 5% or Greater but Less than 10% Evangelical
People Group ID: PG013859
View on Joshua Project

Pray for the Isoko 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: Protestantism
Religious Affiliation: Christianity

98%
%
Protestantism Adherents

Dig Deeper (Language):

Primary Language: Isoko
Language Family: Atlantic-Congo

100%
%
Isoko Speakers

Media Resources in Isoko:

Films:
TitleLink
JESUSView Film

1 film

Bible Resources in Isoko:

Bible Name (Translation)VideoAudioText
1977 Bible Society of Nigeria✓

1 entry

Or check out the Isoko bible at Bible.com

Linked from YouVersion

SPI: No longer Unreached

The Isoko 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 Isoko:
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 Isoko of Nigeria

But he said, "What is impossible with man is possible with God."
readLuke 18:27

Praise God that He is the God of impossible things and that He is able to save even those who seem beyond hope.

And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, ‘This is the way, walk in it,’ when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left.
readIsaiah 30:21

As the lost in this people group seek to know the truth of who God is, pray that the Spirit of God will draw them to Himself and guide them in the way they should go.

For though I am free from all, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win more of them.
read1 Corinthians 9:19

Pray that as people place their faith in Christ, they will have hearts that want to serve the lost around them so that many might come to faith in Jesus.

Go on up to a high mountain, O Zion, herald of good news; lift up your voice with strength, O Jerusalem, herald of good news; lift it up, fear not; say to the cities of Judah, "Behold your God!"
readIsaiah 40:9

Pray for God to send and sustain believers to go and herald the good news to the lost here.

Isoko Across Countries (ROP3 - 104085) 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.

Peoplegroups.org relies on updates from the field and other organizations for much of our data, so if you have any updates, please contact us. We use various international naming standards. For a list of these standards and fields, visit our Data Standards section.

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