Population: 229 million

The community

Nigeria, the most populous country in Africa, is home to more than 200 million people. Culturally and ethnically diverse, the northern region has a Muslim majority. Among Nigeria’s challenges is significant inequality. There are rich natural resources and a successful film industry, but outside the developed cities the daily lives of many Nigerians still revolve around traditional agriculture.

The need

Despite the country’s long history of Christianity and the active faith of millions of Nigerians, there are 184 communities who need a Bible in their language, but have no translation programme started. For them, God’s words have always sounded foreign. They have never had access to a Bible in a language that speaks to their heart. Many of the communities are in remote locations and have not even had the opportunity to imagine what it would be like to have their own Bible in their language.

The programme

Translators engage communities through a two-day translation workshop to give them a first Bible story from Mark’s Gospel. They then work alongside the community on another 100 verses, at the same time beginning to equip people in the community to become Bible translators themselves. By the end of 2027, the aim is to reach 40 language groups (1.5 million people) with 100 Bible verses in their language for the first time. And then begin enabling local translation work, so communities can start on the road to having their own complete audio or written Bible.