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). The president of the CBCN is Ignatius Ayau 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 and 22.6 million in 2010.
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.
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.
Within Nigeria the hierarchy consists of:
Archbishopric
Bishopric
The Catholic Bishops' Conference of Nigeria is the Nigerian episcopal conference.
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).
Caritas University, Amorji-Nike
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
Don Bosco Institute of Philosophy Affiliated to Salesian Pontifical University (Rome)
Dominican Institute
Pan-Atlantic University, Lagos
Claretian Institute of Philosophy, Nekede
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
Good Shepherd Major Seminary, Kaduna
St. Gabriel's Spiritual Year Seminary, Ozubulu, Anambra State
St. Augustine's seminary, Amechi Ezzamgbo, Abakaliki, Ebonyi 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
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
Blessed Cyprian Michael Iwene Tansi, from Anambra State Beatified by Pope John Paul II, March 22, 1998
Daughters of Divine Love
New Evangelization Sisters of Mother of Perpetual Help (NES)
Sons of Mary, Mother of Mercy Congregation(SMMM)
Daughters of Mary, Mother of Mercy Congregation (DMMM)
Holy Family Sisters of the Needy (HFSN)
Missionary Sisters of Divine Mercy (MSDM) Nnewi, Nigeria. Website: www.divinemercysisters.net
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)
The Franciscans
Society of Jesus (Jesuits)
The Cleratian Missionary Fathers
The Oblates Of St Joseph
The Redemptorists
Daughters of St Paul
(Missionary Sisters of Divine Mercy P. O. Box 611 Nnewi Nigeria. Cell: +2348033802674)
