The Yigha of Nigeria

The Yigha of Nigeria, numbering approximately 23,000 people, are No Longer Unreached. They are one of four related Upper Cross River ethnolinguistic groups of Yakurr in Nigeria's Cross River State, alongside the Legbo, Lenyima and Lekpeti, whose speakers are commonly multilingual in Efik and Yakurr. They mostly adhere to Protestantism and Leyigha is their primary language.

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

Fast Facts:

Affinity Group: Sub-Saharan African Peoples
Country: Nigeria
People Cluster: Benue
Primary Language(s): Leyigha (ayi)
Primary Religion(s): Protestantism
Population: 23,000
Strategic Progress Index (SPI): No Longer Unreached
Global Status of Evangelical Christianity (GSEC): 2% or Greater but Less than 5% Evangelical
People Group ID: PG014191
View on Joshua Project

Pray for the Yigha 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

65%
%
Protestantism Adherents

Dig Deeper (Language):

Primary Language: Leyigha
Language Family: Atlantic-Congo

100%
%
Leyigha Speakers

Media Resources in Leyigha:

Films:

No film resources are listed for this language.

Bible Resources in Leyigha:

No Bible resources are listed for this language.

Or check out the Leyigha bible at Bible.com

Linked from YouVersion

SPI: No longer Unreached

The Yigha 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 Yigha:
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 Yigha 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.

...And that repentance for the forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem.
readLuke 24:47

Pray that the message of repentance and forgiveness through Jesus will reach everyone.

And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.
readPhilippians 1:6

Pray that as people place their faith in Christ, they will be assured that God will complete the good work He has begun in them until the day of Christ's return.

And God has appointed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, helping, administrating, and various kinds of tongues.
read2 Corinthians 12:28

Ask God to raise up believers who will faithfully proclaim the good news and equip others to do the same.

Yigha Across Countries (ROP3 - 111062) 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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