It is likely that the Fyer origin story is very similar to that of other Chadic language groups in Nigeria’s Plateau State. They may have originally migrated with the Ngas people from the Lake Chad region to Maiduguri in Borno State, northeastern Nigeria and then relocated to what is now Bauchi. From the early 1800s, Fulani jihadists began to force non-Muslim groups south. Tribal groups such as the Fyer were pushed into the hill country of the plateau.
The Fyer people are few in number compared with the Ngas, a populous neighboring people group. But the Fyer retain their own culture with their Fyer language. Many can speak Hausa, the most populous language of Nigeria. Some also speak English and some Ngas.
Fyer people are located in Mangu Local Government Area in Plateau State, Nigeria. This is in the center of the Nigerian nation.
Agriculture is the main occupation of the Fyer 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 Fyer people may work in tourism as Plateau State is described as “The Home of Peace and Tourism”.
A small percentage of the Fyer people have become Christians. The majority follow African Traditional Religion where they believe that natural physical entities such as animals, plants, and even inanimate objects possess a spiritual essence.
Without access to Scriptures, the Fyer cannot build their lives on God’s promises. Their ability to know God is limited. Their language and culture may also be threatened by the relatively small size of their population. For this reason, community leaders may be interested in language development to preserve their language. Workshops are available that would expose participants to language vitality and potential short-term development and translation projects.
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.
Pray that the Fyer will engage with Scripture that they may be able to understand in other languages, for example Hausa, English or Ngas. 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 Fyer. (Romans 1:16)
Pray for the few who follow Christ, that they 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 (2 Tim 1:7).
Pray that God’s Spirit will lead the Fyer into all truth, removing the veil that would otherwise keep them from saying ‘yes’ to Jesus Christ.
Scripture Prayers for the Fyer in Nigeria.
Fyer | Ethnologue Free
Fyer language - Wikipedia:
A Sociolinguistic Profile of the Rom (Tambas) [tdk] Language of Plateau State, Nigeria (sil.org)
PeopleGroups.org – Fyer
| Profile Source: Joshua Project |
