Achipawa in Nigeria
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Map Source:
Joshua Project / Global Mapping International
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| People Name: | Achipawa |
| Country: | Nigeria |
| 10/40 Window: | Yes |
| Population: | 22,000 |
| World Population: | 22,000 |
| Primary Language: | Acipa, Eastern |
| Primary Religion: | Ethnic Religions |
| Christian Adherents: | 20.00 % |
| Evangelicals: | 4.00 % |
| Scripture: | Unspecified |
| Ministry Resources: | No |
| Jesus Film: | No |
| Audio Recordings: | No |
| People Cluster: | Benue |
| Affinity Bloc: | Sub-Saharan Peoples |
| Progress Level: |
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Introduction / History
Eastern Acipa (also known as Zubazuba or Sagamuk) is a Kainji language of Nigeria. It is different from the Western Acipa language, though speakers of both languages are ethnically the same. Speakers refer to their language as Tusagamuku. Acipa is spoken in Kontagora LGA (Local Government Areas) in the towns of Randeggi and Bobi in Niger State, Nigeria. The people who speak it are known as the Achipawa.
What Are Their Lives Like?
The Achipawa people tend to be poor, depending on subsistence farming. Commonly grown crops are millet, sorghum, and cassava. They sell their produce at markets. They also raise camels, goats, sheep, and cattle. The area is sometimes plagued by drought or locust. They have developed irrigation techniques to combat this problem. Some people make handicrafts.
What Are Their Beliefs?
Most Achipawa follow a local form of African Traditional Religion. Animism, a religious worldview that believes natural physical entities such as animals, plants, and even inanimate objects possess a spiritual essence, is its core concept. They believe in a chief-god who lives in a hut on a great flat stone high over their village. People can only interact with this god through a third party.
What Are Their Needs?
A language survey was conducted among the Achipawa people over fifty years ago. An updated survey would be helpful to assess the multilingualism of the Achipawa people and in what domains Acipa, English, Hausa, and neighboring languages are being used. Data also needs to be collected to ascertain if children are learning the language in their homes or if only older people are still speaking it. 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.
Prayer Points
Pray a new 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 Acipa 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 Achipawa people can come to know the one true God and his only son who died for them.