Kibaku NT — Cibak New Testament (Nigeria)
Overview
Kibaku NT is the complete New Testament (27 books) in the Cibak (Kibaku) language of northeastern Nigeria, published by The Seed Company in 2023 and available via YouVersion/Bible.com (ID 3695). Known by its speakers as Kyibaku, the language had received limited or no prior scripture before this NT. The Cibak community inhabits the Lake Chad basin region of Borno State, where Central Chadic languages have historically been the vernacular of numerous small ethnic groups sharing the Sahel-savanna ecological zone south of Lake Chad.
Language and People
Cibak (ISO 639-3: ckl; autonym: Kyibaku) is an Afroasiatic language: Afroasiatic → Chadic → Central Chadic (Biu-Mandara branch). Central Chadic is the largest Chadic sub-branch, including dozens of languages spoken across northeastern Nigeria, northern Cameroon, and the Lake Chad basin — among them Bura, Marghi, Tera, Higi, and Cibak. Like most Central Chadic languages, Cibak is tonal and morphologically complex, with a verbal system quite different from the Semitic and Cushitic branches of Afroasiatic.
The Cibak community inhabits:
- Borno State, northeastern Nigeria (primary concentration in the Lake Chad basin/Mandara foothills zone)
- Possibly neighboring areas of Yobe or Adamawa States
Estimated speakers: approximately 10,000–30,000 (Cibak is one of many small Central Chadic languages in northeastern Nigeria; precise current data is limited in widely available published sources).
Cultural Context
The Lake Chad basin of northeastern Nigeria is home to many small Chadic-speaking communities who have maintained distinct identities despite centuries of contact with the Kanuri-speaking Kanem-Borno Empire and subsequent Islamic state-building in the region. Most Cibak speakers are Muslim. Borno State has been severely affected by the Boko Haram insurgency since approximately 2009, which has disrupted communities, displaced populations, and complicated literacy and development work including Bible translation. The 2023 NT publication represents a significant accomplishment in this challenging environment.
Publishing and Organizations
Published by The Seed Company (seedcompany.com, Arlington, Texas) in partnership with local translation teams. The Seed Company partners with national and local translators, providing funding and technical support to accelerate Bible translation worldwide.