OKOYI PEPE — Alago New Testament
Overview
Okoyi Pepe is the New Testament in Alago, published by The Word for the World International (jointly: The Word for the World International and The Word for the World Nigeria) and available via YouVersion/Bible.com (ID 4445). The title Okoyi Pepe is the Alago phrase for the Good News/Gospel. This NT represents a modern translation for a language community that has had some form of Christian Scripture since at least 1929 (Joshua Project records an NT completed in that year), making the current WFTW edition likely a contemporary revision or retranslation for today's readers.
Language and People
Alago (ISO 639-3: ala; also Arago, Aragu, Argo; autonym: Idoma Nokwu or Idoma Noku — "the people/language of Nokwu") is a Niger-Congo language belonging to the Idomoid branch of the Volta-Niger sub-family, classified within the Etulo-Idoma subdivision alongside the related Idoma, Igede, Agatu, and Yala languages. The Alago people's own tradition holds that they were "originally one with the Idoma people of modern-day Benue State" and separated from them around 1200 CE — a distinction now encoded in the name "Idoma Nokwu" (the Alago variant of Idoma).
Alago is spoken primarily in Nasarawa State, north-central Nigeria, concentrated in Keana Local Government Area (described as "the cradle of Alago civilization") as well as the Awe and Lafia LGAs around the state capital Lafia. Nasarawa State borders the Federal Capital Territory (Abuja) to its west, making the Alago homeland relatively close to the Nigerian capital. Estimated speakers: approximately 115,000 (Joshua Project) to 350,000 (Ethnologue 2000 estimate, likely including diaspora). The language has three main dialects: Keana (primary), Doma, and Obi.
The Alago practice agriculture (yams, guinea corn, maize, millet) and represent Nigeria's religious diversity at the household level: "Christians, Muslims, and traditional religion practitioners" commonly coexist within the same family. The broader Idomoid language zone of central Nigeria — spanning parts of Benue, Nasarawa, Kogi, and Taraba states — is one of Nigeria's most linguistically rich regions.
Publishing and Organizations
Published by The Word for the World International (WFTW), an international Bible translation organization based in the United Kingdom with a national partner organization, The Word for the World Nigeria. WFTW focuses on NT translation for smaller African language communities and has published NTs in multiple Nigerian languages including Alago, Kete, Shoo-Minda-Nye, and others.