Ganang in Nigeria

Introduction / History

The Ganang people are a small population that still retains its own language of Ganang. Culturally they share much in common with the Berom, the dominate ethnic group in their area. The Ganang people live in Gashish Kuk village in Plateau State of Nigeria. Their village lies southeast of Jos beyond Kura Falls. Neighboring people groups include the Nungu, Berom, and Mada.

What Are Their Lives Like?

Agriculture is the main occupation of the Ganang people. They raise cattle and other livestock and grow crops, including cotton, ground nuts, millet, tomatoes and yams. The government has introduced advanced irrigation schemes to increase production. Some Ganang people may work in tourism as Plateau State is described as “The Home of Peace and Tourism.”

What Are Their Beliefs?

A small percentage of the Ganang people have become Christians. The majority follow African Traditional Religion. At the core of African Traditional Religion is the belief that natural physical entities such as animals, plants, and even inanimate objects possess a spiritual essence. Because their religion is tied to their ethnicity, accepting Christianity may be regarded as rejecting their cultural identity.

What Are Their Needs?

Ganang is the first language spoken by all in the ethnic community, but it is not taught in schools. Most adults speak Hausa, and around four in ten can read and write in Hausa.

There is a unique gender division regarding language loss and endangerment. Women and children maintain use of the language, while males tend to switch to more prestigious languages as they get older, particularly Hausa and English. This can contribute to the loss of language and culture. Community leaders might further assess this situation by attending a workshop that exposes participants to language vitality and potential short-term development and translation projects.

Prayer Points

Pray that Ganang speakers will engage with Scripture that is available in other languages, for example Hausa.
Pray that the Holy Spirit gives them understanding despite any language barriers, so that the good news may be the power of God for salvation of the Ganang.
Pray that the few who follow Christ will be channels of God’s eternal blessing and love to their families and neighbors. May they be full of God’s Spirit of love, boldness and wisdom.
Pray that God’s Spirit will lead the Ganang into all truth, removing the veil that would otherwise keep them from saying ‘yes’ to Jesus Christ.
Pray that leaders will attend a workshop to help them assess the vitality of their language and decide if they wish to pursue language development.

Text Source:   Joshua Project