Aninka in Nigeria

Introduction / History

The Aninka are a tiny people group in one of Nigeria’s most populous states, and yet all generations continue to speak their traditional language (also known as Aninka). (aka Ninka or Nka) is a stable indigenous language of Nigeria. It belongs to the Niger-Congo language family.

The Aninka live in Plateau State of Nigeria, just east of Abuja, Nigeria’s national capital city. They are at risk of conflict with Fulani herders who follow Islam and who raid non-Muslim communities.

What Are Their Lives Like?

Agriculture is the major occupation of the Aninka people. They raise livestock and grow yams, sorghum, maize, potatoes, cowpeas, rice, fruits, and vegetables. Acha, a grain known as “hungry rice,” and millet are the chief cash crops. Some people work in the mining industry. Others sell hides and skins.

What Are Their Beliefs?

Most Aninka speakers identify as Christians. Others hold onto traditional beliefs that natural physical entities such as animals, plants, and even inanimate objects possess a spiritual essence.

What Are Their Needs?

The Aninka people face the daily struggle of relying on the land for their livelihoods. On top of this, they are likely to be a target of Fulani aggression against non-Muslim farming communities. They need God’s heavenly wisdom, which is peace loving, and they need God’s protection. They also need education opportunities for their children so that the Aninka people can grow alternative sources of income and thereby lower their reliance on the land.

Being such a tiny population, it may be difficult for the Aninka to continue to pass on their traditions and language to their children. Community leaders may be interested in language development to preserve their language. Workshops are available that that would expose participants to language vitality and potential short-term development projects.

As practicing Christians, the Aninka need God’s word in a language that they can understand. How can they grow in their knowledge of God and in their faith without being nourished by God’s promises and by the example and teachings of Jesus Christ?

Prayer Points

Pray for protection from Fulani raiders and any other sources of aggression. Pray that they look to their Father, and that the Lord encamps around the Aninka to deliver them and to provide all their material needs.
Pray that God gives the Aninka heavenly wisdom in how they respond to the Fulani and any other aggressors. May they sow in peace and reap a harvest of righteousness.
Pray that the Aninka will engage with whatever Scripture that is available to them, for example some may speak Hausa or English and can translate for their communities. Pray that the Holy Spirit gives them understanding despite any language barriers, leading them into all truth.
Pray that all who follow Christ will be channels of God’s eternal blessing and love to their own people and to neighboring people groups. May they be full of God’s Spirit of love, boldness and wisdom.
Pray for those who don’t yet follow Jesus, that God’s Spirit will gently but firmly remove the veil that keeps them from acknowledging Jesus Christ as Lord.
Pray a survey can be conducted to help assess the vitality of the language and assist community leaders in deciding if they wish to pursue language development.
Pray Aninka speakers will engage with Scripture that is available in other languages and assess their level of understanding of those Scriptures to determine their translation needs.
Pray that they will have God’s Word in a language and format (eg. Audio) that they can readily understand.
Pray that the Aninka people pay careful attention to what Jesus says and follow him well, that they may be blessed (Luke 11:28).

Text Source:   Joshua Project