The Ukpe-Bayobiri of Nigeria

The Ukpe-Bayobiri of Nigeria, numbering approximately 29,500 people, are No Longer Unreached. They are a Bendi-speaking community of Nigeria's Obudu geo-cultural area whose ancestors are believed to have migrated from the east, reaching their present territory by the eighteenth century alongside neighboring Bete-Bendi, Bumaji, and Utugwang communities. They mostly adhere to Protestantism and Ukpe-Bayobiri is their primary language.

Photo by Google. (2026). Image generated by Gemini 2.5 Flash: Ukpe-Bayobiri

Fast Facts:

Affinity Group: Sub-Saharan African Peoples
Country: Nigeria
People Cluster: Benue
Primary Language(s): Ukpe-Bayobiri (ukp)
Primary Religion(s): Protestantism
Population: 29,500
Strategic Progress Index (SPI): No Longer Unreached
Global Status of Evangelical Christianity (GSEC): 2% or Greater but Less than 5% Evangelical
People Group ID: PG014144
View on Joshua Project

Pray for the Ukpe-Bayobiri 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

92%
%
Protestantism Adherents

Dig Deeper (Language):

Primary Language: Ukpe-Bayobiri
Language Family: Atlantic-Congo

100%
%
Bukpe Speakers

Media Resources in Ukpe-Bayobiri:

Films:

No film resources are listed for this language.

Bible Resources in Ukpe-Bayobiri:

No Bible resources are listed for this language.

Or check out the Ukpe-Bayobiri bible at Bible.com

Linked from YouVersion

SPI: No longer Unreached

The Ukpe-Bayobiri 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 Ukpe-Bayobiri:
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 Ukpe-Bayobiri of Nigeria

The LORD has heard my plea; the LORD accepts my prayer.
readPsalm 6:9

Pray that lost people will hear the gospel and place their faith in Christ, knowing that He hears their plea and accepts their prayer.

Now therefore, O kings, be wise; be warned, O rulers of the earth. Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling.
readPsalm 2:10-11

Pray for the rulers and authorities here to seek the Lord and serve Him only. Pray that the people they lead will be amazed by the work of God in their lives.

There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
readGalatians 3:28

Pray that as people place their faith in Christ, they will be united in Christ across all differences of ethnicity, social status, and gender.

And when Jesus finished these sayings, the crowds were astonished at his teaching, for he was teaching them as one who had authority, and not as their scribes.
readMatthew 7:28-29

Pray that God will remind believers that they have His authority as they share His truth with the lost, and pray He will draw crowds of people to this message and plant it deeply in their hearts.

Ukpe-Bayobiri Across Countries (ROP3 - 110375) 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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