The Efai of Nigeria

The Efai of Nigeria, numbering approximately 13,500 people, are No Longer Unreached. They are an Efiat people of Nigeria's Cross River region of mixed Oron, Efik, Ibibio, and Cameroonian ancestry, settled near Calabar, a major historic center of the Atlantic slave trade, in a region near the likely homeland of the Bantu expansion. They mostly adhere to Protestantism and Efai is their primary language.

Photo by Google. (2026). Image generated by Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite: Efai

Fast Facts:

Affinity Group: Sub-Saharan African Peoples
Country: Nigeria
People Cluster: Benue
Primary Language(s): Efai (efa)
Primary Religion(s): Protestantism
Population: 13,500
Strategic Progress Index (SPI): No Longer Unreached
Global Status of Evangelical Christianity (GSEC): 2% or Greater but Less than 5% Evangelical
People Group ID: PG033347
View on Joshua Project

Pray for the Efai 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

94%
%
Protestantism Adherents

Dig Deeper (Language):

Primary Language: Efai
Language Family: Atlantic-Congo

100%
%
Efai Speakers

Media Resources in Efai:

Films:

No film resources are listed for this language.

Bible Resources in Efai:

No Bible resources are listed for this language.

Or check out the Efai bible at Bible.com

Linked from YouVersion

SPI: No longer Unreached

The Efai 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 Efai:
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 Efai of Nigeria

For at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light.
readEphesians 5:8

Pray that those who are lost will turn from the darkness they are walking in and embrace the light, becoming children of light who bear fruit in every good work.

And he said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”
readLuke 7:50

Pray for the good news of Jesus Christ to reach many so that they can place their faith in Him and have lasting hope.

And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.
readJohn 14:3

Pray that as people place their faith in Christ, they will have hope in trials because they know that Jesus will one day take them to be with Him forever.

The next day again John was standing with two of his disciples, and he looked at Jesus as he walked by and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God!”
readJohn 1:35-36

Pray for those God sends to cross cultures to share the gospel, that they might faithfully share the good news of the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.

Efai Across Countries (ROP3 - 102872) 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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