Shal, Shall-Zwall in Nigeria

Introduction / History

The term ‘shall’ means ‘missing,’ and the term ‘zwall’ means ‘crying.’ They had once been one people who lived together. It is possible that at that time, they called themselves Shen. One day one person went missing. There were some who wept over this event, and they were called the Zwall. The group (family?) from whom the person went missing was called Shall. This is possibly a legend to explain the origins of why they perceive themselves differently and why the villages of Shall and Zwall separated.

Where Are they Located?

The speakers of Shall and Zwall can be found in the Tafawa Balewa and Dass LGAs of Bauchi State, northeastern Nigeria. In Shall, we were told that there are eight villages: Shall, Zwall, Burgel, Tudun-Wada, Bashin-Shallawa, Shall-Gwantar, Yalwa, and Gwaltukurwa. In Zwall, only three villages were mentioned: Shall, Zwall, and Burgel.

What Are Their Lives Like?

The primary occupation among the Shall-Zwall people is farming. Each of the Shall and Zwall communities have a primary school, and most also have secondary schools. The markets are in Zwall and Burgel, and Hausa is the dominant language for transactions. Each village has its own chief and holds its own festival. They reported that they predominantly use Shall-Zwall during the festivals.

What Are Their Beliefs?

All the Shall-Zwall people are Muslims. There are no reported Christians or adherents of traditional African religious practices. The Imam in Zwall said that
there is occasional use of Zwall in the mosque by older men, but most of the time, only Hausa and Arabic are used.

Prayer Points

Pray for Jesus to appear in dreams and visions to the Shall-Zwall people.
Pray for the Shall-Zwall people to have a hunger for Jesus.
Pray that the Shall-Zwall people will know that God knows and loves them.

Text Source:   Anonymous