Africa’s Bible Societies Seek to Close Scripture Access Gap

Africa’s Bible Societies Seek to Close Scripture Access Gap

Chief executive officers and board chairmen of Bible Societies across Africa have met in Lagos to address persistent gaps in access to the Scriptures across the continent.

The 2026 consultation, hosted by the Bible Society of Nigeria, brought together leaders under the theme, “Bridging critical gaps to advance Bible mission in Africa.” The gathering focused on strategy, collaboration and innovation in Bible translation and distribution.

In his welcome address, the General Secretary and CEO of the host body, Pastor Samuel Sanusi, described the meeting as both strategic and urgent. He said Africa holds enormous spiritual potential but continues to struggle with limited scripture access, funding constraints, leadership shortages and technology gaps. He urged participants to move beyond dialogue and pursue practical solutions that would strengthen Bible engagement across diverse communities.

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Sanusi noted that Nigeria’s cultural and linguistic diversity reflects the broader African reality. With hundreds of languages spoken nationwide, he said the demand for translations in heart languages remains high. He added that the Bible Society of Nigeria has translated the Bible into 27 Nigerian languages over six decades and distributed millions of copies to churches, schools, correctional centers and hospitals.

Chairman of the Africa Affinity Group, Reverend Valente Tesco, challenged leaders to convert strategy into measurable outcomes. He warned that vision alone would not close the widening gaps in translation speed, governance, distribution networks and financial sustainability. According to him, accountability and bold leadership are required to meet growing expectations.

President and Board Chairman of the host society, Bishop Timothy Banwo, emphasized spiritual discipline in leadership. He said integrity, prayer and obedience remain central to sustaining the Bible mission in complex environments.

Also addressing the meeting, Secretary General of the United Bible Societies, Reverend Dirk Gevers, reaffirmed global support for Africa’s translation efforts. He said the fellowship of 156 Bible societies is currently supporting translation work in nearly 400 languages worldwide and distributes about 150 million scripture items each year.

Despite progress, Gevers noted that roughly 1.5 billion people still lack access to a complete Bible in their native language. He said closing that gap requires stronger partnerships, innovation and long-term investment across the continent.