The Manga Kanuri of Nigeria

The Manga Kanuri of Nigeria, numbering approximately 445,000 people, are Unengaged and Unreached. They are a Kanuri dialect subgroup descended from the medieval Kanem-Bornu Empire, whose Manga population east of Zinder, Niger, sees itself as distinct from the related Barebari Kanuri, with communities also settled across Nigeria's historic Borno Emirate. They mostly adhere to Folk Islam and Manga Kanuri is their primary language.

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

Fast Facts:

Affinity Group: Sub-Saharan African Peoples
Country: Nigeria
People Cluster: Kanuri-Saharan
Primary Language(s): Manga Kanuri (kby)
Primary Religion(s): Folk Islam
Population: 445,000
Strategic Progress Index (SPI): Unengaged and Unreached
Global Status of Evangelical Christianity (GSEC): Less than 2% Evangelical, No Recent CP Activity
People Group ID: PG013984
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Pray for the Manga Kanuri of Nigeria

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Dig Deeper (Religion):

Primary Religion: Folk Islam
Religious Affiliation: Islam

100%
%
Folk Islam Adherents

Dig Deeper (Language):

Primary Language: Manga Kanuri
Language Family: Saharan

100%
%
Kanuri, Manga Speakers

Media Resources in Manga Kanuri:

Films:
TitleLink
JESUSView Film
MagdalenaView Film

2 films

Bible Resources in Manga Kanuri:

Bible Name (Translation)VideoAudioText
2018 Wycliffe Bible Translators, Inc✓✓✓

1 entry

Or check out the Manga Kanuri bible at Bible.com

Linked from YouVersion

Explore Lostness and Next Steps

Unengaged and Unreached

Strategic Priority Index (SPI): Unengaged and Unreached (SPI: 0), which means there are less than 2% evangelical Christian populations among which there are no known efforts focused on establishing self-sustaining churches consistent with evangelical faith and practice.
Lostness Priority Index (LPI): Frontier Unreached People Group, (LPI: 0), < 0.1% Evangelical.
Global Status of Evangelical Christianity (GSEC): Less than 2% Evangelical, No Recent CP Activity (GSEC: 1), this people group is less than 2% evangelical, some evangelical resources are available, but there has been no active church planting among them within the past two years

Next steps for the Manga Kanuri:
Begin signifcant prayer and fasting for this group
Send cross-cultural teams to discover and research this people group
Begin gospel seed sowing and church planting among this group

Pray specifically for the Manga Kanuri of Nigeria

For the LORD knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.
readPsalm 1:6

As many look for hope in worldly pleasures, pray they will hear and accept salvation through Christ, turn from destruction, and experience joy in the way of righteousness.

And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.
readJohn 3:14-15

Pray that the lost will look to Jesus lifted up on the cross and believe in Him, gaining eternal life with God.

I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? My help comes from the LORD, who made heaven and earth.
readPsalm 121:1-2

Pray that as people place their faith in Christ and experience hardship, God will remind them that their help comes from the One who made heaven and earth and that He is powerful to meet their needs.

Say among the nations, “The LORD reigns! Yes, the world is established; it shall never be moved; he will judge the peoples with equity.”
readPsalm 96:10

Pray for God to put in the hearts of believers to go to the lost and testify about the Lord who reigns.

Kanuri, Manga Across Countries (ROP3 - 106240) 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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