Which Niger-Congo branch has the largest number of languages and speakers?

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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 Benue-Congo languages constitute the largest branch of the Niger-Congo language family in terms of both the number of languages and the total number of speakers.1

This branch encompasses approximately 900 languages and accounts for roughly half of the entire Niger-Congo family. Within Benue-Congo, the Bantoid group is the largest, containing about 700 languages that span across central, eastern, and southern Africa.12