Catholic Bishops elect new president

From Fred Ezeh, Abuja

The Archbishop of the Kaduna Catholic Archdiocese, Most Rev. Matthew Man-Oso Ndagoso, has been elected the new president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria (CBCN).

He is expected to succeed Archbishop Lucius Iwejuru Ugorji, the Archbishop of Owerri Archdiocese, whose four-year term began on March 9, 2022, when he was elected the CBCN President during the first plenary assembly of that year, to succeed Archbishop Augustine Obiora Akubeze of the Archdiocese of Benin.

Other CBCN principal officials elected are Most Rev. Alfred Adewale Martins, the Archbishop of Lagos, as the Vice President; Most Rev. Peter Odetoyinbo, the Bishop of Abeokuta, as the Secretary, and Most Rev. Peter Chukwu, the Bishop of Abakaliki, as the Assistant Secretary.

A statement from the Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria (CSN) indicated that the election was successfully conducted at the first plenary of the CBCN in Abuja. The statement also noted that the new officers shall be officially presented at the closing ceremony of the plenary today.

The new CBCN President, Most Rev. Matthew Man-Oso Ndagoso, was born on January 3, 1960, into a traditional religious family. He later converted to Catholicism and was ordained a priest on October 4, 1986.

He is a Nigerian Catholic prelate who has been the Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Kaduna since November 2007, when he was appointed, though installed on January 30, 2008.

Before then, he was the pioneer Rector of Good Shepherd Major Seminary, Kaduna, from 1999 to 2003. It was while he was the rector that he was appointed the Bishop of Maiduguri in 2003 – 2007.

Archbishop Ndagoso is also known for promoting inter-religious dialogue, environmental stewardship, and advocating for peace in Northern Nigeria.