How many distinct Niger-Congo languages are estimated to exist?

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Thematic map of Africa showing the distribution of Niger-Congo language branches. Distinct colors represent language groups such as Atlantic, Mande, Gur, Kwa, Benue-Congo, and Bantu, with Bantu languages covering most of central, eastern, and southern Africa. A numbered key lists prominent languages in each area, and country borders are marked for reference. — Niger-Congo languages Map showing the branches and distribution of the Niger-Congo languages.

The Niger-Congo languages constitute the largest language family in Africa in terms of geographic extent, number of speakers, and the number of distinct languages.

Current estimates indicate that there are approximately 1,400 distinct languages within the Niger-Congo family. It is important to note that these are considered separate languages rather than dialects; the number of named dialects, along with their various alternative names, reaches into the thousands.1