Archbishop John Onaiyekan

Archbishop of Abuja, Nigeria

Bio

John Olorunfemi Onaiyekan is the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Abuja and the President of the Christian Association of Nigeria. He was previously President of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Nigeria and Bishop of Ilorin.

Archbishop Onaiyekan was born in the town of Kabba, in what is now Kogi State, NIgeria. He completed his religious studies in Rome in 1969, and was ordained as a priest on August 3 of that year. Ahmadu Bello, Premier of Nigeria's Northern Region, then offered him a scholarship to study abroad.

Onaiyekan taught at St. Kizito's College, Isanlu in 1969. He became rector of St. Clement Junior Seminary in Lokoja in 1971. He earned his doctorate in 1976, before becoming Vice Rector of Ss. Peter & Paul in 1977.

He has been Archbishop of Abuja since 1994.

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