Songhai believers face incredible obstacles to live a life of faith since Islam is so prominent in Niger. This land-locked, sub-Saharan country of over 11 million people is four-fifths desert. Niger is frequently disrupted by extended droughts and locust infestations. Niger has the world's highest birth rate yet life expectancy is just 43 years and the literacy rate is an alarmingly low 17.6%.

Some of the Kanuri tribes do not yet have a translation of the Bible in their native dialect; others tribes have only portions of the Bible. Kanuri main tribes consist of the Yerwa Kanuri, the Manga Kanuri, and Kanembu Kanuri.