Introduction / History

The Pana people speak Pana, a Gur language that belongs to the Niger-Congo language family. They live in Central African Republic, Nigeria, Cameroon, and Chad, in that order. Historically, the Pana form a small ethnic group with roots in the region, maintaining a distinct identity amid larger neighboring populations through their subsistence-based lifestyle and cultural practices.

What Are Their Lives Like?

The Pana engage in subsistence farming as their primary means of livelihood, cultivating crops such as rice, maize, and millet during the rainy season from May to October. Millet serves as their staple food, providing the foundation of their diet. In addition to agriculture, they raise livestock including cattle and goats to support their households. Their communities consist of scattered villages where daily life revolves around seasonal farming activities and animal husbandry.

What Are Their Beliefs?

Most Panas identify as Christians, except in Chad. Yet they blend faith in Christ with faith in the spirit world. Most serve the spirit world because of fear or to gain favors.

What Are Their Needs?

The Pana inhabit remote areas with poor road infrastructure, which hinders access to their communities and limits the delivery of government services. Educational opportunities are scarce in the region, as only a few elementary schools exist to serve the population. Health care access presents ongoing difficulties due to the isolation and lack of facilities.

Prayer Items

Pray for improved infrastructure, including better roads, hospitals, and schools, to enhance the physical well-being of the Pana people.
Pray that God would raise up and send committed workers filled with the Holy Spirit to proclaim the gospel among them.
Pray for a deep spiritual hunger to arise within the Pana communities, drawing them to seek and embrace Christ as their Savior.
Pray that the Lord would bless them with abundant harvests, serving as a powerful testimony to his goodness and drawing hearts toward faith in Jesus.
Pray that emerging believers among the Pana would mature in their faith and join the global effort to disciple others in Christ.

Scripture Prayers for the Pana in Nigeria.

References

https://joshuaproject.net/people_groups/18893/UV
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pana_language_(Gur)
https://www.ethnologue.com/language/pnq
https://www.sil.org/resources/search/language/pnq