The Catholic Church in Nigeria is part of the worldwide

Catholic Church The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...

, under the spiritual leadership of the

Pope The pope is the bishop of Rome and the Head of the Church#Catholic Church, visible head of the worldwide Catholic Church. He is also known as the supreme pontiff, Roman pontiff, or sovereign pontiff. From the 8th century until 1870, the po ...

, the

curia Curia (: curiae) in ancient Rome referred to one of the original groupings of the citizenry, eventually numbering 30, and later every Roman citizen was presumed to belong to one. While they originally probably had wider powers, they came to meet ...

Rome Rome (Italian language, Italian and , ) is the capital city and most populated (municipality) of Italy. It is also the administrative centre of the Lazio Regions of Italy, region and of the Metropolitan City of Rome. A special named with 2, ...

, and the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Nigeria (CBCN). In 2022, the president of the CBCN is Lucius Iwejuru Ugorji,

Archbishop In Christian denominations, an archbishop is a bishop of higher rank or office. In most cases, such as the Catholic Church, there are many archbishops who either have jurisdiction over an ecclesiastical province in addition to their own archdi ...

of Owerri Archdiocese. He followed on from the previous president, Augustine Obiora Akubeze.

Overview

The Latin and Eastern Catholic Churches comprise the world's largest Christian Church and the largest religious grouping globally. In 2005, there were an estimated 19 million baptised Catholics in

Nigeria Nigeria, officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf of Guinea in the Atlantic Ocean to the south. It covers an area of . With Demographics of Nigeria, ...

. In 2010, the Catholic population accounted for approximately 12.6% of the population, 70% of which can be found in Southeast Nigeria. Historically, the Holy Ghost Fathers maintained a strong presence in

Igboland Igbo land ( Standard ) is a cultural and common linguistic region in southeastern Nigeria which is the indigenous homeland of the Igbo people. Geographically, it is divided into two sections, eastern (the larger of the two) and western. Its popu ...

in today's Southeastern Nigeria, whereas the

White Fathers The White Fathers (), officially known as the Missionaries of Africa (), and abbreviated MAfr, are a Roman Catholic society of apostolic life of pontifical right (for men). They were founded in 1868 by Charles-Martial Allemand-Lavigerie, who w ...

operated in Western and Northern Nigeria, and the Society of African Missions in Lagos. Nigeria, together with Congo Democratic Republic, boasts of the highest number of priests in Africa. The boom in vocation to the priesthood in Nigeria is mainly in the Southeastern part, especially among the Igbo ethnic group, of which the first evangelizers were Holy Ghost Fathers. The second papal visit to the country in 1998 witnessed the beatification of Blessed Cyprian Michael Iwene Tansi.

Pope John Paul II Pope John Paul II (born Karol Józef Wojtyła; 18 May 19202 April 2005) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 16 October 1978 until Death and funeral of Pope John Paul II, his death in 2005. In his you ...

proclaimed him blessed at Oba, Onitsha Archdiocese, a local Church established by the apostle of eastern Nigerian, Bishop Joseph Shanahan, CSSp. The official patron saints of Nigeria are Mary, Queen of Nigeria, and Patrick of Ireland. Nigeria sm02

Demographics

Christianity was followed by an estimated 46.18% of the Nigerian population in 2020; one-quarter of Christians in Nigeria are Catholic (12.39% of the country's population). In the same year, over 9,500 priests and 6,500 nuns served over 4,000 parishes.

List of dioceses

Within Nigeria the hierarchy consists of: *Archbishopric **Bishopric *

Abuja Abuja (; , ) is the capital city of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, strategically situated at the geographic midpoint of the country within the Federal Capital Territory (Nigeria), Federal Capital Territory (FCT). As the seat of the Federal G ...

(Cardinal Archbishop) ** Gboko ** Idah ** Katsina-Ala ** Lafia **

Lokoja Lokoja is a north-central city in Nigeria. It lies at the confluence of the Niger River, Niger and Benue River, Benue list of rivers of Nigeria, rivers and is the capital city of Kogi State. While the Bassa Nge, Yoruba people, Yoruba Oworo peopl ...

** Makurdi **

Otukpo Otukpo is a town in Benue State, Nigeria located in the North Central (Nigeria), Middle Belt Region of Nigeria. It is also the eponymous name of a subgroup of the Idoma people. Otukpo is the headquarters of the Otukpo Local Government Area. It i ...

Benin City Benin City serves as the Capital city, capital and largest Metropolitan area, metropolitan centre of Edo State, situated in Nigeria, southern Nigeria. It ranks as the List of Nigerian cities by population, fourth-most populous city in Niger ...

Auchi Auchi is a city in Edo State, Nigeria. Auchi, a part of Etsako West, Etsako West Local Government Area of Edo State, serves as the Local Government headquarters. Other towns in the Etsako West local government area include: Uzairue, Afenmai ...

** Bomadi ** Issele-Uku ** Uromi **

Warri The city of Warri is an oil hub within South-South Nigeria and houses an annex of the Delta State Government House. Warri City is one of the major hubs of the petroleum industry in Nigeria. Warri, Udu, Okpe and Uvwie are the commercial ...

Calabar Calabar (also referred to as Callabar, Calabari, Calbari, Cali and Kalabar) is the capital city of Cross River State, Nigeria. It was originally named Akwa Akpa, in the Efik language, as the Efik people dominate this area. The city is adjac ...

** Ikot Ekpene ** Ogoja **

Port Harcourt Port Harcourt (Pidgin: ''Po-ta-kot or Pi-ta-kwa)'' is the capital and largest city of Rivers State in Nigeria. It is the fifth most populous city in Nigeria after Lagos, Kano, Ibadan and Benin. It lies along the Bonny River and is locate ...

** Uyo *

Ibadan Ibadan (, ; ) is the Capital city, capital and most populous city of Oyo State, in Nigeria. It is the List of Nigerian cities by population, third-largest city by population in Nigeria after Lagos and Kano (city), Kano, with a total populatio ...

** Ekiti ** Ilorin ** Ondo **

Osogbo Osogbo (also known as ''Oṣogbo'', and seldomly as ''Oshogbo'') is a city in Nigeria. It became the capital city of Osun State in 1991. Osogbo city seats the Headquarters of both Osogbo Local Government Area (situated at Oke-Baale Area of th ...

** Oyo * Jos **

Bauchi Bauchi (Fula: ''Leydi Bauchi'' 𞤤𞤫𞤴𞤣𞤭 𞤦𞤢𞤵𞤷𞥅𞤭) is a States of Nigeria, state in the North East (Nigeria), North-East geopolitical zone of Nigeria. It is bordered by Jigawa State, Jigawa to the north, Yobe State, Y ...

Jalingo Jalingo is the capital city of Taraba State in north-eastern Nigeria, named in Fula language, fulfulde (the word Jalingo means "superior place") and has been estimated with population of 418,000 as of 2018, The city has received the highest num ...

** Maiduguri **

Pankshin Pankshin is a Local Government Area in Plateau State, Nigeria. Its headquarter is in the town of Pankshin. It has an area of 1,524 km and a population of 191,685 at the 2006 However, some of the native inhabitants are widely found in neigh ...

Shendam Shendam is a Local Government Area in Plateau State, Nigeria. Its headquarters are in the town of Shendam. It is bordered by Ibi Taraba State to the south, Qua'an Pan to the east, Pankshin to the north, and Mikang to the west. Shendam town is ...

** Yola * Kaduna ** Kafanchan ** Kano ** Kontagora ** Minna **

Sokoto Sokoto (Hausa language, Hausa: ; Fulfulde, Fula: , ''Leydi Sokoto'') is one of the 36 states of Nigeria, located in the extreme northwest of the country. It is bounded by Niger, Republic of the Niger to the north and west for 363 km (226 m ...

Zaria Zaria is a List of Nigerian cities by population, metropolitan city in Nigeria, located at present time within four local government areas in Kaduna State. It serves as the capital of the Zazzau Emirate Council and is one of the original sev ...

Lagos Lagos ( ; ), or Lagos City, is a large metropolitan city in southwestern Nigeria. With an upper population estimated above 21 million dwellers, it is the largest city in Nigeria, the most populous urban area on the African continent, and on ...

(Cardinal Archbishop) **

Abeokuta Abeokuta is the capital city of Ogun State located at the south western part of Nigeria. It is situated on the east bank of the Ogun River, near a group of rocky outcrops in a wooded savanna; north of Lagos by railway, or by water. , Abeokut ...

** Ijebu-Ode *

Onitsha Onitsha ( or simply ''Ọ̀nị̀chà'') is a city on the eastern bank of the Niger River, in Anambra State, Nigeria. Onitsha along with various cities and towns in southern Anambra State, northern Imo State and neighboring Delta State on the we ...

** Abakaliki ** Aguleri **

Awgu Awgu is a Local Government Area (LGA) in Enugu State, Nigeria. Its headquarters is situated in Awgu Town, Enugu, Awgu Town, it is also the headquarters of Roman Catholic Diocese of Awgu, Awgu Catholic Diocese -the Catholic Cathedral is said to ...

** Awka ** Ekwulobia ( Cardinal Bishop) ** Enugu ** Nnewi ** Nsukka *

Owerri Owerri ( , ) is the capital city of Imo State in Nigeria, set in the heart of Igboland. It is also the state's largest city, followed by Orlu, Nigeria, Orlu, Okigwe and Ohaji/Egbema. Owerri consists of three Local Government Areas of Nigeria, Loc ...

** Aba ** Ahiara ** Okigwe ** Orlu ** Umuahia Immediately subject to the

Holy See The Holy See (, ; ), also called the See of Rome, the Petrine See or the Apostolic See, is the central governing body of the Catholic Church and Vatican City. It encompasses the office of the pope as the Bishops in the Catholic Church, bishop ...

: * Maronite Catholic Eparchy of the Annunciation

Episcopal conference

The Catholic Bishops' Conference of Nigeria is the Nigerian

episcopal conference An episcopal conference, often also called a bishops’ conference or conference of bishops, is an official assembly of the bishops of the Catholic Church in a given territory. Episcopal conferences have long existed as informal entities. The fir ...

. Its current President is Lucius Iwejuru Ugorji.

Catholic traditionalism

A more traditionalist subset of the Catholic Church is also present in Nigeria and embodied by the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter (Nne Enyemaka Shrine, Umuaka). There also exists a community of the irregular status Society of St. Pius X ( Saint Michael's

Priory A priory is a monastery of men or women under religious vows that is headed by a prior or prioress. They were created by the Catholic Church. Priories may be monastic houses of monks or nuns (such as the Benedictines, the Cistercians, or t ...

, Enugu).

Catholic universities in Nigeria

* Caritas University, Amorji-Nike * Spiritan University, Nneochi. *

Godfrey Okoye University Godfrey Okoye University (GO University) was founded in 2009 by the Very Reverend Father Professor Dr. Christian Anieke for the Catholic Diocese of Enugu. The university, which got its operational licence on 3 November 2009 from the Nat ...

, Enugu * Madonna University (Ihiala), Okija * Our Saviour Institute of Science and Technology, Enugu *VUNA, Veritas University Abuja (The Catholic University of Nigeria), Abuja * Augustine University Ilara * Pan-Atlantic University, Lagos Dominican University , Ibadan

Major seminaries in Nigeria

Seminary of Saints Peter and Paul, Ibadan, Oyo State, NigeriaSt. Thomas Aquinas Major Seminary, Makurdi
* St. Augustine's Major Seminary, Jos
National Missionary Seminary of St. Paul, Gwagwalada

St Joseph Major Seminary Ikot Ekpene
* Blessed Tansi Major Seminary Onitsha, Anambra State * St Albert The Great Major Seminary Abeokuta * St. John of the Cross Spiritual Year Seminary, Ekpoma * Seat of Wisdom Major Seminary, Owerri * Seat of Wisdom Major Seminary, Umuahia Campus * JohnPaul II Major Seminary, Awka * Good Shepherd Major Seminary, Kaduna * Claretian Institute of Philosophy, Nekede Owerri * Spiritan Institute of Theology Attakwu Enugu * Spiritan Institute of Philosophy, Isienu Nsukka * Don Bosco Institute of Philosophy Affiliated to Salesian Pontifical University (Rome) * Dominican Institute

Minor seminaries in Nigeria

* St Augustine's seminary, Amechi Ezzamgbo, Abakaliki, Ebonyi State * Holy Ghost Juniorate Seminary, Ihiala, Anambra State. (Spiritans) * Queen of Apostles Seminary, Afaha Obong, Abak, Akwa Ibom State * Immaculate Conception Seminary, Mfamosing, Cross River State * St John Vianney Minor Seminary, Barkin-Ladi, Plateau State * St James' Junior Seminary, Yandev Gboko * St Jude's Minor Seminary, Kuje Abuja * St Theresa's Minor Seminary Oke-Are Ibadan * Sacred Hearts Minor Seminary Akure * St Clement's Minor Seminary, Adankolo-Lokoja, Kogi State * St Paul's Seminary Ukpor, Nnewi Anambra State * All Hallows Seminary, Onitsha Anambra State * St Joseph's Seminary Special Science School, Awka-Etiti Anambra State. * Mercy Seminary, Bende Abia State * Immaculate Conception Seminary, Ahiaeke Umuahia, Abia State * St Dominic Savio Seminary, Akpu, Anambra State * St John Bosco Seminary, Isuaniocha, Anambra State * Holy Martyrs of Uganda seminary Effurun, Delta State * Annunciation Seminary Amaudara, Abia State * St John-cross minor seminary, Isienu-Nsukka, Enugu state * St Charles Borromeo seminary, Imiringi, Bayelsa State. * St Mary's Seminary Umuowa, Orlu, Imo State. *Bonus Pastor Seminary Osina, Ideato North, Imo State. *Assumpta Minor Seminary, Owerri Archdiocese. * Mater Ecclesiae Seminary, Nguru Mbaise, Ahiara Diocese * St Peter Claver's Seminary Okpala Owerri Archdiocese * Pope John Paul II Seminary Yala Okpoma Ogoja Diocese * St Peter's Seminary Ogii, Okigwe Diocese * Sacred Heart Seminary, Rumuebiekwe Port Hacourt, Port hacourt Diocese * St Felix Seminary Ejeme-Anigor, Delta State * St Joseph Seminary Basawa, Zaria, Kaduna State. * St Charles Borromeo Minor Seminary, Madakiya Kaduna State * St Peter's Minor Seminary, Katari Kaduna State * St Peter's Minor Seminary, Yola Adamawa State * St Joseph's Minor Seminary, Shuwa Adamawa State * Sacred Heart Minor Seminary, Jauro Yinu Taraba State * St Paul Minor Seminary, Benin City, Edo State

Nigerians who have been canonized or beatified

* Blessed Cyprian Michael Iwene Tansi, from Anambra State Beatified by Pope John Paul II, 22 March 1998

Catholic religious congregations founded in Nigeria

* Daughters of Divine Love
New Evangelization Sisters of Mother of Perpetual Help)Sons of Mary, Mother of Mercy CongregationDaughters of Mary, Mother of Mercy Congregation
*Holy Family Sisters of the Needy
Missionary Sisters of Divine Mercy, Nnewi, Nigeria
* Sisters of the Eucharistic Heart of Jesus, Ikeja, Lagos-State. *Sisters of Jesus Crucified, Uratta, Owerri, Imo State *Missionary sister of Jesus and Mary, Warri

Missionary societies active in Nigeria

Society of African MissionsThe Spiritans (Congregation of the Holy Spirit, C.S.Sp.)The Augustinians (Order of Saint Augustine, O.S.A.)Missionary Sisters of Our Lady of ApostlesSt. Louis SistersSalesians of Don Bosco
Salesians of Don Bosco (SDB)]
Missionaries of AfricaPontifical Mission Societies of Nigeria (PMS Nigeria)Aid to the Church in Need

Missionary Society of St. Paul
* Order of Preachers (Dominicans) * Order of Discalced Carmelites * The Franciscans *

Society of Jesus The Society of Jesus (; abbreviation: S.J. or SJ), also known as the Jesuit Order or the Jesuits ( ; ), is a religious order of clerics regular of pontifical right for men in the Catholic Church headquartered in Rome. It was founded in 1540 ...

(Jesuits) * The Cleratian Missionary Fathers * The Oblates Of St Joseph * The Redemptorists
Vocationists
The Society of Divine Vocations
Daughters of St Paul (Missionary Sisters of Divine Mercy P. O. Box 611 Nnewi Nigeria. Cell: +2348033802674)Oblates of the Virgin Mary Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate

References

External links

* *
Catholic News Service of Nigeria

* ttp://www.fides.org/ "Agencia Fides" Information Service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927 {{DEFAULTSORT:Catholic Church in Nigeria