ROMAN CATHOLICISM IN NIGERIA
The Catholic Church in Nigeria is part of the worldwide Catholic Church, under the spiritual
leadership of the Pope, the curia in Rome, and the Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria. The
president of the Bishops Conference is Archbishop Ignatius Kaigama (Archbishop of Jos).
The Latin and Eastern Catholic Churches comprise the world's largest Christian Church, and its
largest religious grouping. In 2005, there were an estimated 19 million baptised Catholics in
Nigeria.
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 eastern part
(especially among the Igbo ethnic group) which accounts for over 70 percent of the country's
Catholic population. As at the year 2009 there were 18 million Catholics in Nigeria. There are 9
archdioceses, 43 Suffragan dioceses, 2 Apostolic Vicariates, 3452 Diocesan Priests, 694 Religious
Priests, 1905 Parishes, 3674 Religious Women, 3755 Total seminarians, 4163 Educational institutes,
1202 Charitable institutes.
The second papal visit to the country in 1998 witnessed the beatification of Blessed Cyprian
Michael Iwene Tansi. Pope John Paul II 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 Saint Patrick of Ireland.
LIST OF DIOCESES IN NIGERIA
Within Nigeria the hierarchy consists of the
1. Archbishopric:
 Abuja
 Benin
 Calabar
 Ibadan
 Jos
 Kaduna
 Onitsha
 Lagos
 Owerri
2. Bishopric:
 Gboko
 Idah
 Katsina-ala
 Lafia
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Lokoja
Makurdi
Otukpo
Auchi
Issele-uku
Uromi
Warri
Ikot Ekpene
Ogoja
Port Harcourt
Uyo
Ekiti
Ondo
Osogbo
Oyo
Bauchi
Jalingo
Maiduguri
Pankshin
Shendam
Yola
Ilorin
Kafanchan
Kano
Minna
Sokoto
Zaria
Abeokuta
Ijebu-ode
Abakaliki
Awgu
Awka
Nnewi
Enugu
Nsukka
Aba
Ahiara
Okigwe
Orlu
Umuahia
Apostolic Vicariates in Nigeria
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Apostolic Vicariate of Bomadi
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Apostolic Vicariate of Kontagora
LIST OF MAJOR SEMINARIES IN NIGERIA
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Seminary of Saints Peter and Paul, Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria
Seminary of All Saints, Uhiele Ekpoma, Edo State, Nigeria
Bigard Memorial Seminary, Enugu
St. Thomas Aquinas Major Seminary, Makurdi
St. Augustine's Major Seminary, Jos
National Missionary Seminary of St. Paul, Gwagwalada
St Joseph Ikot Ekpene
Blessed Tansi Major Seminary Onitsha
St Albert The Great Major Seminary Abeokuta
Bonus Pastor Seminary Orlu
St. John of the Cross Spiritual Year Seminary, Ekpoma
Seat of Wisdom Major Seminary, Owerri.
LIST OF MINOR SEMINARIES IN NIGERIA
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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
LIST OF THE CATHEDRALS AND PRO-CATHEDRALS OF THE ROMAN
CATHOLIC CHURCH IN NIGERIA
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Christ the King Cathedral in Aba
St. Theresa’s Cathedral in Abakaliki
Cathedral of St. Peter in Abeokuta
Mater Ecclesiae Cathedral in Ahiara
St. Vincent’s Cathedral in Auchi
Cathedral of St. Michael the Archangel in Awgu
St. Patrick’s Cathedral in Awka
Cathedral of St. John Evangelist in Bauchi
Holy Cross Cathedral in Benin City
Our Lady of the Waters Cathedral in Ughelli
Sacred Heart Cathedral in Calabar
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St Patrick’s Cathedral in Ado-Ekiti
Holy Ghost Cathedral in Enugu
St Mary’s Catholic Cathedral in Ibadan
St. Boniface Cathedral in Idah
St. Sebastian’s Cathedral in Ijebu-Ode
St. Anne’s Cathedral in Ikot Ekpene
St. Joseph’s Cathedral in Ilorin
St Paul’s Cathedral in Issele-Uku
St Augustine’s Cathedral in Jalingo
Cathedral of Our Lady of Fatima in Jos
St. Joseph’s Cathedral in Kaduna
St Peter Claver’s Cathedral in Kafanchan
Cathedral of Our Lady of Fatima in Kano
St Michael’s Cathedral in Kontagora
St. William’s Cathedral in Lafia
Cathedral of the Holy Cross in Lagos
Immaculate Conception Cathedral in Lokoja
St Patrick’s Cathedral in Maiduguri
Our Lady of Perpetual Help Cathedral in Makurdi
St. Michael’s Cathedral in Minna
Cathedral of Our Lady of Assumption in Nnewi
St. Theresa’s Cathedral in Nsukka
St. Benedict’s Cathedral in Ogoja
St. Mary’s Cathedral in Okigwe
Sacred Heart Cathedral in Akure
Cathedral Basilica of the Most Holy Trinity in Onitsha
Holy Trinity Cathedral in Orlu
St Benedict’s Cathedral in Osogbo
St Francis’ Cathedral in Otukpo
Assumpta Cathedral in Owerri
Our Lady of the Assumption Cathedral in New Oyo
Corpus Christi Cathedral in D-line, Port Harcourt
Cathedral of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in Shendam
Holy Family Cathedral in Sokoto
Mater Dei Cathedral in Umuahia
Cathedral of St. Anthony of Padua in Uromi
Christ the King Cathedral in Uyo
Sacred Heart Cathedral in Warri
St Theresa’s Cathedral in Yola
Cathedral of Christ the King in Zaria
Our Lady Queen of Nigeria Pro-Cathedral in Abuja
St. Mary’s Pro-Cathedral in Calabar
St. John’s Pro-Cathedral in Abakaliki
LIST OF CANONIZED NIGERIANS
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Blessed Cyprian Michael Iwene Tansi
Blessed Cyprian Michael Iwene Tansi was born in Aguleri, Anambra State, Nigeria in
September 1903 and died in Leicester, England, 24 January 1964 was an Igbo Nigerian ordained
a Roman Catholic priest of the Archdiocese of Onitsha, Nigeria on 19 December 1937. He
worked in the parishes of Nnewi, Dunukofia, Akpu/Ajalli and Aguleri.
He was later a Cistercian Monk at Mount Saint Bernard Monastery in England. After being
recommended by Cardinal Francis Arinze, who was inspired by Tansi as a boy (he had been one
of Tansi's students and knew him personally), he was beatified by Pope John Paul II on 22
March 1998, who said, "Blessed Cyprian Michael Tansi is a prime example of the fruits of
holiness which have grown and matured in the Church in Nigeria since the Gospel was first
preached in this land. He received the gift of faith through the efforts of the missionaries, and
taking the Christian way of life as his own he made it truly African and Nigerian."
CATHOLIC RELIGIOUS CONGREGATIONS FOUNDED IN NIGERIA
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Daughters of Divine Love
New Evangelization Sisters of Mother of Perpetual Help (NES)