Nigerian Catholic Dioceses And Creation History

The list of the current Catholic Dioceses in Nigeria and their dates of creation/erection (18 October, 2023) By Fr. Henry Charles Umelechi Each Catholic Metropolitan province contains an Archdiocese and suffragan diocese(s). An archdiocese is referred to as a metropolitan see or the “head” diocese of an ecclesiastical province: the "primus inter pares," the first among the dioceses in a province. For example, the Archdiocese of Onitsha is the Metropolitan See for the Province of Onitsha, which includes Archdiocese of Onitsha itself and the suffragan dioceses of Abakaliki, Aguleri , Awgu, Awka, Ekwulobia and other three dioceses. The suffragan dioceses are those dioceses under the leadership of the Archdiocese. Currently, there are 60 Catholic dioceses in Nigeria which includes one eparchy, in 9 Ecclesiastical provinces with 9 Metropolitan Archdioceses: ✓Metropolitan Archdiocese of Abuja(26 March 1994)(8) *Diocese of Gboko ( 29 December 2012) *Diocese of Idah (17 Decem