Anglican Province of the Niger

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The Anglican Province of the Niger is one of the 14 ecclesiastical provinces of the Church of Nigeria. It comprises 9 dioceses:

Contents

Archbishops of the Province

Maxwell Anikwenwa, Bishop of Awka was the first archbishop of the Niger Province, from its erection in 2002 until his retirement in 2010; he had previously been Archbishop of Province II since 2000. He was re-elected in 2007. [2]

Christian Efobi, Bishop of Aguata, was the second Archbishop of the Province, until his retirement in 2018. [3] He had started his second term as archbishop on 24 July 2016. [4]

Godwin Okpala, Bishop of Nnewi, was the third Archbishop, from 4 April 2018 [5] until his retirement in September 2019.

Alexander Chibuzo Ibezim, Bishop of Awka, has been Archbishop of the Province of the Niger [6] since his election during 2019 [7] and installation on 24 September 2019. [8]

Diocese on the Niger

The oldest diocese in the province and in all Nigeria is the Diocese of Niger; ultimately, all the dioceses of the province have split from that on the Niger.

Diocese of Awka

The Diocese of Awka was created on 9 March 1987, from the Diocese on the Niger and inaugurated during a ceremony at the then Pro-Cathedral, St Faith's. The cathedral is St Faith's, Awka; the diocese was split on 5 September 2005, to create the Aguata diocese. [9]

Bishops of Awka

Diocese of Nnewi

Nnewi diocese was split off from the Diocese of the Niger, and inaugurated on 14 February 1996. [10] The cathedral of the diocese is St Mary's, Uruagu Nnewi (formerly a pro-cathedral). [5] The Diocese of Nnewi has since been split twice, to form the Dioceses of Amichi and of Ihiala. [2]

Bishops of Nnewi

Diocese of Aguata

Aguata diocese was erected from that of Awka in 2005; it was inaugurated on 4 September 2005, in a ceremony led by Peter Akinola, Primate of All Nigeria. [12] The mother church of the diocese is St John's Cathedral, Ekwulobia. [13]

Bishops of Aguata

Diocese of Ogbaru

Previously a Missionary Archdeaconry of the Diocese on the Niger, Ogbaru was erected a missionary diocese on 15 March 2007; its headquarters are at Atani, and the cathedral is St James's Cathedral, Atani. [15]

Bishops of Ogbaru

Diocese of Ihiala

On 7 June 2008, [16] Ihiala diocese was inaugurated, having been split from the Diocese of Nnewi. [17] The mother church is St Silas' Cathedral, Ihiala. [18]

Bishops of Ihiala

Diocese of Niger West

The Diocese of Niger West was split from the Diocese on the Niger on 9 June 2008; the mother church is St Gabriel's Cathedral, Umueri.

Bishops of Niger West

Diocese of Mbamili

Erected from Niger Diocese, Mbamili was inaugurated on 9 June 2008 and Okeke was her first bishop. [20]

Bishops of Mbamili

Diocese of Amichi

The Diocese of Amichi was founded from the Diocese of Nnewi, and inaugurated on 13 January 2009; the mother church is St Andrew's Cathedral, Amichi. [22]

Bishops of Amichi

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Church of Nigeria</span> Nigerian Anglican church

The Church of Nigeria is the Anglican church in Nigeria. It is the second-largest province in the Anglican Communion, as measured by baptised membership, after the Church of England. As of 2016 it gives its membership as "over 18 million", out of a total Nigerian population of 190 million. It is "effectively the largest province in the Communion." As measured by active membership, the Church of Nigeria has nearly 2 million active baptised members. According to a study published by Cambridge University Press in the Journal of Anglican Studies, there are between 4.94 and 11.74 million Anglicans in Nigeria. The Church of Nigeria is the largest Anglican province on the continent of Africa, accounting for 41.7% of Anglicans in Sub-Saharan Africa, and is "probably the first [largest within the Anglican Communion] in terms of active members."

The Anglican Diocese on the Niger is the mother diocese of the Church of Nigeria. It is one of 10 Anglican dioceses in the Anglican Province of the Niger within the Church of Nigeria. The diocese was created in 1864 as the 'Diocese of West African Territories Beyond the British Dominions' or 'Diocese of the Niger' with Bishop Samuel Ajayi Crowther as the bishop. At Crowther's death in 1891, the diocese was merged with the Lagos and Yoruba sections of the Nigerian mission which had been under the Diocese of Sierra Leone and renamed 'the Diocese of Western Equatorial Africa' with Bishop John Sidney Hill as bishop. He was succeeded by Bishop Herbert Tugwell. In 1920 the Diocese of Equatorial West Africa was divided into two: an eastern part and a western part. A part of the Diocese on the Niger was subsequently carved out in 1946 to create the Niger Delta Diocese.

Ephraim Adebola Ademowo is a retired Nigerian Anglican Archbishop. He was the erstwhile Diocesan Bishop of Lagos (2000–2018), Dean of the Church of Nigeria (2010–2012), Provincial Archbishop of Lagos (2002–2012) and Archbishop of Province 1 (2000–2002).

Ekwulobia is an Igbo-speaking town in southeastern Nigeria. It is the one of the largest cities in Anambra State after Awka, Onitsha, and Nnewi and their respective conurbations. It is the headquarters of the present Aguata local government and the headquarters of the old Aguata Local Government that comprised the present Aguata local government and Orumba North and South local governments.

Anambra State House of Assembly is the Legislative Branch of the Anambra State Government created in 1991 when Anambra State was created. It is a unicameral body with 30 elected members who represent 30 constituencies. As of June 2019, Uchenna Okafor is the Speaker of the Anambra State House of Assembly.

Alexander Chibuzo Ibezim is an Anglican bishop in Nigeria.

Godwin Izundu Nmezinwa Okpala is an Anglican bishop in Nigeria.

Israel Kelue Okoye is an Anglican bishop in Nigeria: he is the current Bishop of Ihiala, one of nine within the Anglican Province of the Niger, itself one of 14 provinces within the Church of Nigeria.

Samuel Chukwudi Ezeofor is an Anglican bishop in Nigeria. As of 2018 he is the Bishop of Aguata, one of nine within the Anglican Province of the Niger, which is, itself, one of 14 provinces within the Church of Nigeria. He was Bishop of Ogbaru until 2018.

The Anglican dioceses of Burundi are the Anglican presence in Burundi; together they form the Province of the Anglican Church of Burundi. The Anglican churches of the area were under the authority of the Archbishop of Canterbury until 1965, when the Province of Uganda and Ruanda-Urundi was created; Burundi was then part of the Province of Rwanda, Burundi, and Boga-Zaire from 1980 until its own church province was erected in 1992.

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The Anglican Diocese of Niger Delta North is one of 12 within the Anglican Province of Niger Delta, itself one of 14 provinces within the Church of Nigeria. The current Archbishop of Niger Delta Province & Bishop of Niger Delta North is Wisdom Budu Ihunwo, who was consecrated a bishop on June 3, 2018, at All Saints' Cathedral, Onitsha.

The Anglican Diocese of Ikwerre is one of twelve within the Anglican Province of the Niger Delta, itself one of 14 provinces within the Church of Nigeria. The current bishop is Blessing Enyindah. Enyindah was consecrated a bishop on April 18, 2007, at the Cathedral of the Good Shepherd, Enugu; the diocese was inaugurated on April 20, and Enyindah later became Archbishop of Niger Delta Province on July 11, 2021.

Jonathan Arinzechukwu Onyemelukwe (1930-2011) was the Anglican Bishop On the Niger and Archbishop of Province Two of the Church of Nigeria in 2000.

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The 2015 Anambra State House of Assembly election was held on April 11, 2015, to elect members of the Anambra State House of Assembly in Nigeria. All the 30 seats were up for election in the Anambra State House of Assembly.

References

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  2. 1 2 "Latest Election of Archbishops in the Church of Nigeria, Global South Anglican Official Website". globalsouthanglican.org. 13 September 2007. Archived from the original on 13 June 2018. Retrieved 21 August 2022.
  3. ABS Commentary: The Legacies of Archbishop C. Efobi in Aguata Diocese (Abuchi Nwozor, 26 January 2018; accessed 9 August 2021)
  4. Church of Nigeria — elects 3 new bishops, new dean and 2 archbishops. (Accessed 28 August 2021)
  5. 1 2 ABS — Commentary: The Profile of the Third Archbishop of the Niger Province (Abuchi Nwozor, 10 April 2018; accessed 9 August 2021)
  6. Anglican Province of the Niger at the Church of Nigeria Official Website
  7. ABS — Bishop Ibezim Emerges New Archbishop Ecclesiastical Province of Niger (Amaka Okoye, 5 July 2019; accessed 9 August 2021)
  8. The Authority — Archbishop Ibezim calls for increased security in Southeast (Odogwu Emeka Odogwu, 22 November 2020; accessed 9 August 2021)]
  9. Nwude O. (2012). "Brochure for the Silver Jubilee Anniversary of the Diocese of Awka." (Awka: SCOA) cited in Egwuonwu, Onyeka & Mgbemena, Stanley C. "The Evangelical Trends of Awka Diocesan Synod of the Anglican Communions, 19872011"
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  11. Anglican Ink — Six bishops elected by the Church of Nigeria house of bishops, 23 August 2019 (Accessed 9 August 2021)
  12. Vanguard — Obiano states benefit of Anambra health insurance scheme (Vincent Ujumadu, 9 September 2020; accessed 9 August 2021)
  13. ABS — Aguata Anglican Diocese Ends 15th Anniversary with Thanksgiving Service (Blessing Uchendu, 7 September 2020; accessed 9 August 2021)
  14. 1 2 Diocese of Aguata — Bishop of Aguata Diocese (Archived 8 July 2020; accessed 9 August 2021)
  15. Anglican Diocese of Ogbaru — Our History (Accessed 15 November 2021)
  16. "Anglicanism in Nigeria". Anglican Church of the Ascension, Opebi. Archived from the original on 23 June 2012. Retrieved 28 August 2021.
  17. Ihiala Diocese Anglican — About Us (Archived 3 April 2021 and accessed 28 August 2021)
  18. Ihiala Diocese Anglican — Archdeaconries (Archived 3 April 2021 and accessed 28 August 2021)
  19. Church of Nigeria — elects 3 new bishops, new dean and 2 archbishops. (Accessed 28 August 2021)
  20. Vanguard — Anglican Communion laments lack of federal, state govts’ presence in Anambra West (Accessed 15 November 2021)
  21. Church of Nigeria, Anglican Communion elects Fabuluje, Uzochukwu as bishops
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