Ibani New Testament (2024)
Overview
The Ibani New Testament is the complete New Testament (27 books) in the Ibani language of Bonny and Opobo, Rivers State, Nigeria, published in 2024 by The Seed Company through the Luke Initiative for Scripture Translation (copyright ©2024 Luke Initiative) and available via YouVersion/Bible.com (ID 3936). The 2024 publication is the culmination of translation engagement stretching back to 1870 — CMS mission records include early Ibani scripture portions from the nineteenth century, and partial Matthew chapters (1:1–11:7) are documented from c. 1900.
Language and People
Ibani (ISO 639-3: iby; autonym: Ibani) is an Ijoid language: Niger-Congo → Ijoid → Eastern Ijo → KOIN cluster (Kalabari–Okrika–Ibani–Nkoroo). Note: The placement of the Ijoid family within Niger-Congo is linguistically debated; some scholars treat Ijoid as an independent language family. The language has tonal contrasts and strict vowel harmony.
Ibani is spoken in Rivers State, Nigeria — specifically Bonny town (Bonny LGA, on the Bonny River bight of the Niger Delta) and Opobo (Opobo/Nkoro LGA), southeast of Port Harcourt. Major speech communities include Bonny, Opobo, Finima, Nkoro, Borokiri, Oloma, Abalama, and Peretside.
Estimated speakers: approximately 136,000 (Joshua Project). The Ibani community is predominantly Christian (~92%; Progress Scale 5 — Significantly Reached).
Historical and Cultural Context
Bonny was one of the major trading centers of the Niger Delta from the 16th–18th centuries, handling ivory and palm oil, and was one of the largest slave-trade ports in the Bight of Biafra. The CMS mission to Bonny began in 1864–1865 under Bishop Samuel Ajayi Crowther — the first African Anglican bishop — making Bonny one of the earliest mission centers in the Niger Delta. Church leader Adadonye Fombo introduced Ibani into church services in 1956, replacing the previously used Igbo liturgy. The language experienced some pressure from Igbo due to historical intermarriage during the slave trade era.
Publishing and Organizations
Published by The Seed Company through the Luke Initiative for Scripture Translation in 2024.