Akebu New Testament with Genesis (KEUWBT)

Overview

The Akebu New Testament with Genesis — known as the Bible Akébou — was launched on August 2, 2025, in the town of Kougnohou in the Plateaux region of Togo, marking a historic milestone for a language community that had long awaited Scripture in its mother tongue. At the dedication ceremony, 1,200 copies were purchased on the first day alone, and more than 2,000 copies had been distributed within weeks of the launch. The event featured pastors and priests gathering around newly printed copies in a solemn ceremonial moment that was broadcast on Radio JVA, a Christian radio station in Togo. One participant described receiving the book as holding "a treasure." Translation work was carried out in partnership between the Association pour la Promotion de la Langue Akébou (APLA) and SIL Togo, with support from Wycliffe Bible Translators. Lead translator Jacques Sossoukpe and his wife Marthe were among those central to completing the project. Bible portions had been available from 2010 to 2015, and the JESUS Film was produced in Akebu as an evangelism resource during the translation period.

Language and People

Akebu (ISO 639-3: keu), also spelled Akébou or Kebu, is a Ghana-Togo Mountain language spoken by approximately 101,000 people in the Agou and Wawa prefectures of the Plateaux region of southern Togo, with smaller numbers in southeastern Ghana. The language belongs to the Kwa branch and is closely related to other mountain languages of the Togo-Ghana border zone. [Glottolog: akey1234]

Publishing and Organizations

Published by the Association pour la Promotion de la Langue Akébou (APLA) in cooperation with SIL Togo and Wycliffe Bible Translators.

References