The Numana of Nigeria

The Numana of Nigeria, numbering approximately 57,000 people, are Engaged yet Unreached. They are an Indigenous ethnic group of central Nigeria, primarily located in Southern Kaduna State and parts of Nasarawa State. They mostly adhere to Animism and Numana is their primary language.

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

Fast Facts:

Affinity Group: Sub-Saharan African Peoples
Country: Nigeria
People Cluster: Benue
Primary Language(s): Numana (nbr)
Primary Religion(s): Animism
Population: 57,000
Strategic Progress Index (SPI): Engaged yet Unreached
Global Status of Evangelical Christianity (GSEC): Less than 2% Evangelical, No Recent CP Activity
People Group ID: PG014419
View on Joshua Project

Pray for the Numana 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: Animism
Religious Affiliation: Ethnoreligion

60%
%
Animism Adherents

Dig Deeper (Language):

Primary Language: Numana
Language Family: Atlantic-Congo

100%
%
Numana Speakers

Media Resources in Numana:

Films:

No film resources are listed for this language.

Bible Resources in Numana:

No Bible resources are listed for this language.

Or check out the Numana bible at Bible.com

Linked from YouVersion

SPI: Unreached yet Engaged

The Numana 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 Numana:
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 Numana of Nigeria

For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.
readRomans 1:20

As God's creation declares His glory, pray that multitudes who don't know Him will see the works of His hands and desire to know more about the Creator.

“I was ready to be sought by those who did not ask for me; I was ready to be found by those who did not seek me. I said, ‘Here I am, here I am,’ to a nation that was not called by my name."
readIsaiah 65:1

Pray that the lost will be found by God, even when they are not seeking Him. Pray that He will reveal Himself to them in a way they cannot ignore and that they will respond in faith.

We give thanks to you, O God; we give thanks, for your name is near. We recount your wondrous deeds.
readPsalm 75:1

Pray that as people place their faith in Christ, they will give thanks to the Lord for His wondrous works and declare His goodness to all people.

The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent.
readActs 17:30

Pray that those God sends to cross cultures will boldly and lovingly declare that God commands all people everywhere to repent.

Numana Across Countries (ROP3 - 107501) reported in the following countries:

Strategic Progress Index
All

1 people group

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