Nigeria
Click here for the Nigeria Mormon Newsroom
232,654
Total Church Membership
71
Stakes
810
Congregations
96
FamilySearch Centers
1
Temples
9
Missions |
History
In response to letters from Nigerians who had read about the Church and organized unofficial congregations, Church leaders attempted to establish a mission in Nigeria in the early 1960s. Because the Church was unable to obtain missionary visas and at the time did not ordain men of African descent to the priesthood, plans were eventually put on hold. After the Nigerian Civil War, Ime Eduok, Anthony Obinna, and others ministered to those who still longed to join the Church, waiting in faith and patience to inherit the promises of the gospel (see Hebrews 6:12).
Following President Spencer W. Kimball’s 1978 revelation extending priesthood ordination and temple blessings to worthy Church members of African descent, the Church was finally established in Nigeria. People who had long looked forward to the day were finally able to be baptized and invite relatives and friends to join the Church. Ten years later, the first stake in Nigeria was organized.
Saints in Nigeria have served their communities in many ways, either through practicing integrity and goodwill in their own lives or through organized Church efforts. Relief Society sisters took the lead on a literacy effort, which aimed to help women become more self-reliant and gain personal testimonies of the Book of Mormon. Saints of all ages have participated in the Church’s annual All-Africa Mormon Helping Hands Day. In 2005 a temple was dedicated in Aba. By 2018, 40 years after the first baptisms there, more than 160,000 Saints lived in Nigeria.
For Journalist Use Only
Oyewole Oyedeji
Phone: +234 803 343 3240
Africa
Total Church Membership
849,568
Members
2,721
Congregations
Missions
45Missions
FamilySearch Centers
Temples
6Temples
Asia
Total Church Membership
1,298,181
Members
2,113
Congregations
Missions
45Missions
FamilySearch Centers
Temples
10Temples
Europe
Total Church Membership
507,748
Members
1,296
Congregations
Missions
35Missions
FamilySearch Centers
Temples
14Temples
North America
Total Church Membership
9,637,503
Members
18,423
Congregations
Missions
175Missions
FamilySearch Centers
Temples
120Temples
Oceania (Pacific)
Total Church Membership
599,065
Members
1,308
Congregations
Missions
17Missions
FamilySearch Centers
Temples
11Temples
South America
Total Church Membership
4,320,129
Members
5,629
Congregations