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 (CBCN).
As of 2026, the president of the CBCN is Matthew Man-Oso Ndagoso, Archbishop of Kaduna. He followed the previous president, Lucius Iwejuru Ugorji.
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.Craig Timberg, "Nigeria's Spiritual Rainmaker is Eyed at Vatican," Washington Poet, 17 April 2005, A1 In 2010, the Catholic population accounted for approximately 12.6% of the population,Pew Research Center: Christian Population as Percentages of total population by country 2010 https://www.pewforum.org/2011/12/19/table-christian-population-as-percentages-of-total-population-by-country/ 70% of which can be found in Southeast Nigeria.
Historically, the Holy Ghost Fathers maintained a strong presence in Igboland in today's South-eastern Nigeria, whereas the White Fathers operated in Western and Northern Nigeria, and the Society of African Missions in Lagos.
Nigeria, together with the Congo-Kinshasa, boasts of the highest number of priests in Africa. The boom in vocations to the priesthood in Nigeria is mainly in the South-eastern 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 proclaimed him blessed at Oba, Onitsha Archdiocese, a local Church established by the apostle of eastern Nigeria, Bishop Joseph Shanahan, CSSp.
The official patron saints of Nigeria are Mary, Queen of Nigeria, and Patrick of Ireland.
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).World Religions Database at the ARDA website, retrieved 2023-08-08
In the same year, over 9,500 priests and 6,500 religious sisters served over 4,000 parishes.Catholics and Culture website, retrieved 2023-08-08 Church of the Agudas
Old communities of Catholics in the country include those of some Yorubas of the South-West, who are known in the Yoruba language as Ijo Aguda (lit. "Church of the Agudas") due to their historic connection to the Brazilian Nigerian community. GEORGE, ABOSEDE. “Brazilian-Style Architecture and Lagosian Modernity.” Journal of West African History, vol. 7, no. 2, 2021, pp. 115–32. JSTOR, https://www.jstor.org/stable/48642061. Accessed 19 July 2026 The link between these Brazilians, commonly called Agudas, and the wider community of Yoruba Catholics dates back to the establishment of a group of lay believers in Lagos in the decades prior to the construction of the Holy Cross Cathedral in the city in 1881.
List of dioceses The Catholic Church in Nigeria is organized into ecclesiastical provinces, each headed by a Metropolitan Archbishop. Each province consists of a Metropolitan Archdiocese and several Suffragan Dioceses. In addition, areas not yet established as dioceses are organized as Apostolic Vicariates. Archdioceses 9 Suffragan Dioceses 51 Parishes 4,944 (2023) Diocesan Priests 8,312 Religious Priests 1,997 ♦Total Priests 10,309 (2023) Religious Women 6,741 Major seminaries in Nigeria6 Major seminarians 6,333 Minor seminaries in Nigeria20 Minor seminarians ♦Total seminarians Educational institutes 4,163 Charitable institutes 1,202 References GCatholic page for 2023Gcatholic information on Nigeria
Abuja Gboko Idah Katsina-Ala Lafia Lokoja Makurdi Otukpo Benin City Auchi Bomadi Issele-Uku Uromi Warri
Calabar Ikot Ekpene Ogoja Port Harcourt Uyo Ibadan Ekiti Ilorin Ondo Osogbo Oyo
Jos Bauchi Jalingo Maiduguri Pankshin Shendam Yola Kaduna Kafanchan Kano Kontagora Minna Sokoto Zaria
Lagos Abeokuta Ijebu-Ode
Onitsha Abakaliki Aguleri Awgu Awka Ekwulobia Enugu Nnewi Nsukka
Owerri Aba Ahiara Okigwe Orlu Umuahia
Immediately subject to the Holy See: Maronite Catholic Eparchy of the Annunciation
Episcopal conference The Catholic Bishops' Conference of Nigeria is the Nigerian episcopal conference. 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, Enugu).
Catholic universities in Nigeria Caritas University, Amorji-Nike Spiritan University, Nneochi. Godfrey Okoye University, 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, 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 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 Congregation Daughters of Mary, Mother of Mercy Congregation, founded in 1961 (DMMM).Daughters of Mary Mother of Mercy, accessed on 27 January 2026 Holy Family Fathers and Brothers of the Youth (HFFBY), established in 2003.Holy Family Fathers and Brothers of the Youth 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 Missions The Spiritans (Congregation of the Holy Spirit, C.S.Sp.) The Augustinians (Order of Saint Augustine, O.S.A.) Missionary Sisters of Our Lady of Apostles St. Louis Sisters Salesians of Don Bosco Salesians of Don Bosco (SDB)] Missionaries of Africa Pontifical 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 (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
Persecution
Catholic Church in Nigeria faces severe persecution. According to the CBCN, at least 145 priests have been kidnapped, 11 have been murdered, and four remain missing between 2015 and 2025. Report by the NGO International Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law (Intersociety) stated that at least 15 priests were kidnapped between January and August 2025 by Fulani, Boko Haram and other forces. The phenomenon, according to the report, is due to a combination of attacks by jihadist groups and organized criminal gangs operating for profit, with priests being victims of both violent ambushes and financial extortion.
In Nigeria, the Boko Haram insurgency aims to establish an Islamic state in Nigeria. This has resulted in the persecution of Christians in Nigeria. There has been a tendency of "mischaracterisation of the situation as civil conflict". The number of Nigerian Christians killed for their identification as Christians accounts for 70% of those being killed for their faith worldwide. The academic Journal of African Studies and Sustainable Development published a paper in 2020 that noted that since 2015, over 12,000 Christians have been killed in Nigeria. Christian human rights organisations, such as Global Christian Relief have provided higher figures, such as documenting in 2023 that 52,250 Christians were murdered for their faith in the previous fourteen years. In 2025, this garnered international attention with United States president Donald Trump vowing military action in Nigeria if the attacks against Christians did not subside; on Christmas Day 2025, the United States targeted ISIS cells in Nigeria.