« Survey of West Africa: The Peoples

West Africa

Survey of West Africa: Peoples Summarized

Adamawa-Ubangi
The entire cluster is found largely within Nigeria. The largest groups include the Mumuye (545k), Yungur and Vere. The vast majority are ethnoreligionists, but there are small numbers of Christians among them. Three of the smaller groups are least-reached: the Awak, Kugama, and Magdhi.

Anglo-American
Several thousand American expatriates are to be found in Liberia and Niger.

Anglo-Celt
Over 130,000 British are in Nigeria, and 38,000 in Ghana. There are also a few thousand in each of the other countries.

Arab, Arabian
Two small expatriate communities of Arabs are in Guinea and Ghana, each numbering fewer than 3,000 people.

Arab, Hassaniya
Found primarily in Mali and Mauritania, with a few moderately-sized groups in other nearby countries.  The largest group in the cluster are the nomadic Moors (Maure). The entire cluster is considered least-reached. Spoken languages include French and Arabic; the cluster is primarily Sunni Muslim.

Arab, Levant
Lebanese from southern Lebanon have migrated to West Africa in search of a better life. The largest is the 54,000 Lebanese in Senegal. Most are Sunni Muslims, but there are large percentages of Christians.

Arab, Maghreb
This cluster is made up of one large group of Algerians (167,000) in Niger, and one smaller group (14,000) in Burkina Faso. All are Sunni Muslims who speak Algerian Arabic.

Arab, Shuwa
This cluster is made up of one large 240,000 Shuwa Arabs in Nigeria and a very small group (6,500) in Niger. Both are expatriate groups from Chad, and are Sunni Muslims.

Atlantic
This a collection of several large, medium and small groups. The two largest include the 1.3 million Temne (Sierra Leone) and 1.2 million Serere-Sine (Senegal). There are about a dozen other large groups, each numbering more than 100,000 members, as well as numerous small groups less than 100,000 in size. Most of this cluster is found in the far west of the continent, on the Atlantic coast: primarily in Sierra Leone, Senegal, Guinea, and Guinea Bissau. Of the larger groups, only the Gola are considered least-reached; there are a handful of the smaller groups that are in this position (particularly the Banyun).

Atlantic-Jola
Mainly found in Senegal, Gambia and Guinea-Bissau, the largest is the 321,000 Jola-Fonyi in Senegal. Nearly all except the largest groups are least-reached. The Jola practice a generally syncretized version of Islam, with a few still holding to animistic ethnic religions.

Atlantic-Wolof
The Wolof are found throughout the western countries. The largest group are the 4.6 million Wolof in Senegal. All are Sunni Muslims and are least-reached.

Bantu
This cluster includes seven small groups all found in Nigeria. None are considered least-reached. The largest are the 21,000 Lungu.

Benue
The Benue cluster is one of the most complicated in West Africa. With a total population of 80 million in West Africa, it features over 252 individual peoples located almost entirely within Nigeria. The largest groups within the cluster include the 4 million Ibibio, 3.4 million Tiv, 1.4 million Ebira and 1.3 million Anaang, but there are an additional 45 groups with more than 100,000 members. Only 15 are considered least-reached, and each of the 15 have less than 50,000 members. Benue State in Nigeria has been racked by tribal violence.

Berber, Saharan
There are three Saharan Berber groups, each with less than 10,000 members, located in Mauritania and Senegal. All three are least-reached Sunni Muslims. Most speak Hassaniya.

Chadic
This cluster is the fourth largest, with 16.4 million people in 105 groups. It includes 22 groups with more than 100,000 members, the largest of which are the Angas with 479,000. Like the Benue, nearly the whole of the cluster is in Nigeria. The groups are mixed between Christianity, Islam and ethnic religions. In the cluster, 25 of the groups are considered least-reached, including the Bade, Goemai, Gera, Karekare and Ngizim.

Kanuri-Saharan
The 12 groups in this cluster are found in Nigeria and Niger. The largest are the 5 million Yerwa (mainly in Nigeria) and 600,000 Manga (split between Nigeria and Niger). All are least-reached Sunni Muslim peoples.

Chinese
Two small groups of Chinese are found in West Africa: a few thousand Wu-speakers are in Nigeria and a thousand Mandarin-speakers are in Ghana. The numbers of Chinese are rising, however, with the increasing business contacts between China and Africa.

French
Small expatriate groups of French can be found in most of the countries of West Africa. The largest is the 430,000 French found in Senegal. None are considered least-reached. Virtually all are majority-Christian in the Catholic tradition.

Fulani
The 32 million Fulani (or Fulbe) are one of the largest groups in West Africa. They are nomadic pastoralists (cattle-herders). Fulani are most numerous in Nigeria, where they number over 10 million; there are over 1 million each in Guinea, Mali, and Senegal, as well as hundreds of thousands in the other West African countries. All of the Fulani groups are majority Muslims.  There are several ministries focused on outreach to them. Ministry amongst the Fulbe of Benin have borne fruit.

Germanic
There are four small groups of Germans in Ivory Coast, Ghana, nigeria and Togo. The group in Ivory Coast is largest (22,000); the others have just a few thousand members each. None are considered least-reached.

Greek
Two small Greek groups totalling about 3,000 are found in Sierra Leone and Gambia. Neither are considered least-reached.

Guinean
The Guinean cluster is comprised of 152 peoples with a total population of 32.3 million, making it barely the second largest in West Africa (after the 32.5 million Yoruba cluster). The largest peoples within the cluster include the 3 million Akan in Ghana, 2.9 million Baule in Ivory Coast, 2.4 million Akan in Ghana, 2.3 million Ewe in Ghana, 1.7 million Fon in benin, 1.3 million Ewe in Togo, 1.1 million Edo in Nigeria, and 1.1 million Brong in Ghana. in addition, there are another 43 groups with over 100,000 members each. Very few of the groups in the Guinean cluster are considered unreached. Most are majority Christian, and the ones that are not still generally hold to ethnic religions.

Gur
The Gur cluster has 164 peoples with a total population of 27 million. The largest groups include the 8 million Mossi (Moore) found in Burkina Faso and Ivory Coast, the 1.1 million Senufo of Ivory Coast, and the 1 million Dagaaba of Ghana. Although the Mossi are Muslims, the vast majority of the Gur cluster are ethnoreligionists. Significant ministry is focused on the Gur cluster and only a few of the groups are considered unreached. The largest of these are the 881,000 Bamana in Mali.

Hausa
The 27.9 million Hausa make up 10% of West Africa, with nearly all in northern Nigeria (21 million) and southeast Niger (5.5 million). They are agriculturalists, working as farmers and pastoralists, although many have moved to the larger cities seeking work. All are Sunni Muslims and considered least-reached. Their language is a dominant trade language for Nigeria and many other countries, and there are significant Christian resources available in it, but there are very few Hausa converts from Islam.

Hindi
The Hindi cluster is made up of three expatriate Indo-Pakistani groups, each numbering about 10,000, found in Ivory Coast, Sierra Leone, and Ghana. They speak Hindi, are Hindus, and are among the least-reached.

Igbo
The Igbo (sometimes called Ibo) cluster has 12 groups totalling 19.9 million people. All except two (Ghana, Gambia) are found in Nigeria, centered in the state of Nri, the “cradle of Igbo culture.” Their homeland was devastated during the Nigerian civil war. They have since faced discrimination and many have migrated away. Large communities can be found in London, Houston, Atlanta and Washintgton DC. Most are Christians.

Ijaw
The 7.7 million Ijaw are divided into 11 groups, all of which are found in Nigeria (except one, the 32,000 Kalabari of Ghana). All are majority Christian, in the Protestant tradition.

Jews
There is a small group of a hundred expatriate Jews living in Nigeria. They are considered unreached.

Kru
The 9.5 million Kru are are found in 54 groups located mostly in Cote d’Ivoire and Liberia. The largest group is the 460,000 Basse in Liberia. Few of the groups are considered least-reached: most are Christian although some of the larger groups still hold to ethnic religions.

Malinke
The Malinke cluster is made up of 48 groups with a total population of 8.3 million people. Most are found in Maninke and Mandinka groups found in Guinea, Cote d’Ivoire, Gambia and Senegal. Most of the groups are Sunni Muslims although some still hold to ethnic religions. Nearly all are considered least-reached.

Malinke-Bambara
This cluster is made up of 13 groups totalling over 4 million people found mostly in Mali and Cote d’Ivoire. With few exceptions, the groups are unreached Sunni Muslims.

Malinke-Jula
The Jula cluster is a group of 14 peoples totalling about 1 million individuals, mostly in Burkina Faso and Cote d’Ivoire. Virtually all are unreached Sunni Muslims with small pockets of animistic ethnoreligionists.

Mande
The 23 million people in the Mande cluster are divided into 53 groups located mainly in Sierra Leona, Cote d’Ivoire, Liberia and Guinea. The largest groups include the 1.4 million Mende of Sierra Leone and the 1.0 million Dan of Cote d’Ivoire. Many ministries are focused on this cluster, and only a few of the groups are considered least-reached. Nevertheless most of the groups continue to hold to animistic ethnic religions, while the handful that do not are majority Islamic.

Nupe
The 7.5 million Nupe are found in northern Nigeria, primarily in Niger State. Most are Muslims, having been converted in the late 18th century by wandering preachers, but their traditional religious beliefs are often syncretized with Islam. There is a small group of Christians. A few of the groups are considered unreached.

Other Sub-Saharan African
This cluster includes a number of Eurafrican and Mestico groups, as well as 1.2 million detribalized peoples in Nigeria. Only two groups–the 82,000 Gbessi of Benin and the 7,600 Damlawa of Nigeria–are considered unreached. Most of the groups are strongly Christian of the Protestant tradition.

Portuguese, European
Two expatriate groups of a few thousand each are found in Guinea-Bissau and Senegal. Neither are unreached.

Pygmy
One group of 48,000 are found in Cote d’Ivoire.

Sara-Bagirmi
Two small groups of a few thousand each are found in Nigeria. The Sara Mbai are mostly Christian, while the Barma are unreached and mostly Sunni Muslims.

Songhai
During the 15th and 16th centuries, the Songhai formed one of the largest Muslim African empires in history, ruling modern Gambia, Senegal, Guinea, Mali, Burkina Faso all the way to Nigeria. Their empire had a 200,000-man army that enabled trade in gold, salt and slaves. They were conquered by the Moroccans, but the land proved to vast to manage and splintered into many kingdoms which were later colonized by Europeans. Today the 5.6 million Songhai are found in 19 groups, most in Niger and Mali. The largest group is the 3.4 million Zerma of Niger. All of the Songhai cluster are unreached Sunni Muslims; there are very few Christians among them.

Soninke
The 2 million Soninke are in 13 groups mainly in Mali, with small groups in the other West African countries (particularly Senegal). All are unreached Sunni Muslims.

Spanish
There is one small expatriate group of Spaniards in Mauritania. They are Christians in the Catholic tradition.

Susu
The 1.2 million Susu cluster is made up of 5 groups of Susu found mostly in Guinea, with some in Sierra Leone, Senegal, Guinea-Bissau and Gambia. The Susu are Sunni Muslims.

Tuareg
Most Tuareg live in the Saharan desert, where they are similar to the Berbers but have their own unique culture. In West Africa, the Tuareg cluster contains 11 groups with 2 million members, found mostly in Niger and Mali. All are unreached Sunni Muslims. There are very few believers although there is a Tuareg partnership focused on ministry amongst them.

Yoruba
The last cluster in this survey is also the largest: the 32.5 million Yoruba are found in 30 peoples. Most live in Nigeria and Benin although thousands are found in the other countries of West Africa as well. Historically the pastoralist Yoruba dominated the western bank of the Niger. They founded numerous city-states and developed the arts. Ife, one of the chief cities of the Yoruba, has been the center of over 400 religious cults. The largest groups are the 25 million Yoruba and 3.8 million Egba, both in Nigeria. Few of the Yoruba groups are considered unreached. However, in spite of strong Christian evangelism, many of the groups still hold to ethnic religions and there are large pockets of Sunni Muslims as well.

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© 2007 Momentum Magazine.
Related: The Mission Manual · Justin Long's Annotated Links and Notes