The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Nigeria

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Nigeria refers to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) and its members in Nigeria. At year-end 1983, there were 2,255 members in Nigeria. In 2025, there were 274,043 members in 880 congregations making it the largest body of LDS Church members in Africa.

History

In the 1950s and 1960s, several thousand native Nigerians became interested in joining the LDS Church, despite the church having no formal presence in the country. In November 1962, LeMar Williams was set apart as a mission president in Nigeria. However, he was not able to get a visa as an American. N. Eldon Tanner, a Canadian, went to Nigeria and began negotiations with the Nigerian government. While he was there, he dedicated Nigeria for the preaching of the gospel. Ambrose Chukwuo, a Nigerian college student studying in California, read Mormonism and the Negro and sent a letter to a Nigerian newspaper condemning the LDS Church's teachings on blacks. The newspaper published Chukwuo's letter and the letters of other students with similar opinions. The Nigerian government did not give the LDS Church a permit to proselyte and church president David O. McKay postponed proselyting plans. In 1965, Williams obtained a visa to go to Nigeria and began preparing to set up a mission in Nigeria. Since black Nigerians couldn't hold the priesthood, Williams was going to baptize those who were ready and set up auxiliary organizations that could function without the priesthood. Black Nigerians would be allowed to pass, but not bless the sacrament. However, several members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles expressed concern about teaching black people and called for the program to be terminated. After a unanimous vote, they decided to end the program. They contacted Williams and told him to leave Nigeria immediately. The Biafran war in 1967 further postponed church work there.

With the 1978 Revelation on Priesthood, plans were again begun to start the church in Nigeria. Ted Cannon and his wife, Janath, along with Rendell N. Mabey and his wife, Rachel, were sent to Nigeria, arriving in November 1978, five months after the revelation. They based their operations out of Enugu, and the first branch they organized was with Anthony Obinna as president. Most of the earliest converts they baptized were in various villages throughout south-eastern Nigeria and had been meeting and seeking church membership for years, if not decades.LDs Church Newsroom article on Nigeria

At first Nigeria was administered by the church's International Mission. In 1983 a Nigerian, mission was organized, which originally also covered Ghana.

In 1988, the church's first stake in Nigeria was organized in Aba, with David W. Eka as president. In 1993, the second stake in Nigeria was organized in Benin City.

In 1998, Gordon B. Hinckley became the first church president to visit Nigeria, presiding at a large meeting in Port Harcourt. In 2000, Hinckley announced plans to build a temple in Aba. The temple was dedicated by Hinckley in 2005. In 2009, the temple was closed as foreign temple worker missionaries were withdrawn due to violence in the area. The temple was reopened in 2010 with a Nigerian as temple president and all temple workers being Nigerian.

By 2018, there were over 50 stakes in Nigeria. In that year church president Russell M. Nelson announced plans to build a temple in Lagos, Nigeria. The first stake in Lagos had been organized in 1995, and in 2015 it had gone from 3 to 5 stakes. The LDS Church was still most heavily concentrated in south-east Nigeria, with Akwa Ibom State alone having 12 stakes.

Much of northern Nigeria had no LDS Church presence and many areas in mid-Nigeria had only begun to have significant organizational presence of the church in the mid-2010s.

By mid-2019 there were 58 stakes in Nigeria, with the 58th stake being the 3rd based in the capital city of Abuja. The Abuja stakes were far and away the most northern in Nigeria, with the district in Jos containing the only other units of the church even close to that far north. The growth had in some places been very fast, with Yorubaland (not including heavily Yoruba Lagos State) having gone from no stakes in 2013 to 5 by 2019.

Other states that saw significant growth were Delta State, that went from a few branches in a district outside the state in 2015 to three districts and a stake in 2019. Benue State in the more central area of the country had one branch in 2015, and did not get a district until 2017. By 2019 the state had 3 districts.

Stakes and districts Stake/DistrictOrganized MissionAba Nigeria North Stake15 May 1988Nigeria AbaAba Nigeria Ogbor Hill Stake3 Dec 2006Nigeria AbaAba Nigeria Osisioma Stake15 May 2022Nigeria AbaAba Nigeria South Stake6 Dec 2015Nigeria AbaAba Nigeria Umuola Stake10 Jun 2018Nigeria AbaAbak Nigeria Stake14 Jun 2015Nigeria AbaAbakaliki Nigeria Stake28 Oct 2018Nigeria EnuguAbeokuta Nigeria Obantoko Stake20 Sep 2026Nigeria IbadanAbeokuta Nigeria Oke-Ata Stake2 Sep 2018Nigeria IbadanAbeokuta Nigeria Oke-Ilewo Stake16 Nov 2014Nigeria IbadanAbuja Nigeria Karu Stake2 Feb 2025Nigeria AbujaAbuja Nigeria Kubwa Stake29 May 2016Nigeria AbujaAbuja Nigeria Lugbe Stake24 Jun 2012Nigeria AbujaAbuja Nigeria Wuse Stake23 Jun 2019Nigeria AbujaAgbor Nigeria District24 Nov 2013Nigeria OwerriAkamkpa Nigeria Stake12 Jun 2022Nigeria CalabarAkure Nigeria Stake22 Sep 2024Nigeria IbadanAsaba Nigeria Stake10 Jun 2018Nigeria OwerriAwka Nigeria Stake24 Nov 2019Nigeria OwerriAzikoro Nigeria District3 Nov 2024Nigeria Port Harcourt NorthBenin City Nigeria Ihogbe Stake24 Oct 1993Nigeria Benin CityBenin City Nigeria Ikpokpan Stake2 Mar 1997Nigeria Benin CityBenin City Nigeria New Benin Stake2 Sep 2007Nigeria Benin CityBenin City Nigeria Oregbeni Stake20 Sep 2015Nigeria Benin CityBenin City Nigeria Siluko Stake11 Mar 2012Nigeria Benin CityBenin City Nigeria Sokponba Stake18 Feb 2018Nigeria Benin CityBenin City Nigeria Ugbowo Stake11 Mar 2012Nigeria Benin CityBenin City Nigeria Uzebu Stake18 Feb 2018Nigeria Benin CityBori Nigeria District18 Aug 2019Nigeria Port Harcourt SouthCalabar Nigeria Etta Agbor Stake18 Aug 2024Nigeria CalabarCalabar Nigeria South Stake17 May 2015Nigeria CalabarCalabar Nigeria Stake1 Dec 2002Nigeria CalabarCalabar Nigeria Tinapa Stake3 Dec 2017Nigeria CalabarEket Nigeria Stake14 Jul 1996Nigeria UyoEkete Nigeria Stake29 Nov 2020Nigeria Benin CityEkpoma Nigeria Stake14 Jan 2018Nigeria Benin CityEnugu Nigeria North Stake5 Jul 2026Nigeria EnuguEnugu Nigeria South Stake29 Jun 2014Nigeria EnuguEtinan Nigeria North Stake15 Oct 2017Nigeria UyoEtinan Nigeria Stake22 Sep 1996Nigeria UyoGboko Nigeria Stake9 Mar 2025Nigeria EnuguIbadan Nigeria North Stake24 Mar 2019Nigeria IbadanIbadan Nigeria Stake15 Jun 2014Nigeria IbadanIbesikpo Nigeria Stake1 May 2016Nigeria UyoIbiono Nigeria Stake4 Dec 2016Nigeria UyoIfo Nigeria District12 May 2024Nigeria IbadanIjebu-Ode Nigeria Stake30 May 2021Nigeria IbadanIkot Akpaden Nigeria Stake27 Jun 1999Nigeria Port Harcourt SouthIkot Akpatek Nigeria Stake5 Jun 2016Nigeria Port Harcourt SouthIkot Ekpene Nigeria Stake15 May 2016Nigeria AbaIkot Use Ekong Nigeria Stake8 Feb 2026Nigeria UyoIle-Ife Nigeria Stake26 Jun 2016Nigeria IbadanIyahe Nigeria District10 Nov 2024Nigeria EnuguJos Nigeria Stake22 Sep 2024Nigeria AbujaLagos Nigeria Agege Stake20 Feb 2005Nigeria LagosLagos Nigeria Egbeda Stake22 Nov 2015Nigeria LagosLagos Nigeria Festac Stake22 Nov 2015Nigeria LagosLagos Nigeria Gberigbe Stake31 May 2026Nigeria LagosLagos Nigeria Ikeja Stake23 Feb 1997Nigeria LagosLagos Nigeria Ikorodu Stake19 Jun 2022Nigeria LagosLagos Nigeria Ikotun Stake26 Jun 2022Nigeria LagosLagos Nigeria Ojodu Stake24 Jun 2018Nigeria LagosLagos Nigeria Yaba Stake15 May 2011Nigeria LagosLekki Nigeria Stake20 Oct 2024Nigeria LagosMakurdi Nigeria Stake15 Dec 2024Nigeria EnuguMangu Nigeria District8 Mar 2026Nigeria AbujaMbaise Nigeria Stake13 Mar 2022Nigeria OwerriNsit Ubium Nigeria Stake16 Jul 2023Nigeria UyoNsukka Nigeria Stake24 May 2026Nigeria EnuguNsukwa Nigeria District31 Mar 2019Nigeria OwerriOgbomosho Nigeria District15 Jul 2018Nigeria IbadanOgwashi Nigeria District24 Nov 2013Nigeria OwerriOhafia Nigeria Stake29 May 2022Nigeria EnuguOkpuala Ngwa Nigeria Stake13 Sep 2015Nigeria AbaOkrika Nigeria District6 Dec 2009Nigeria Port Harcourt SouthOndo Nigeria Stake26 Nov 2023Nigeria IbadanOnitsha Nigeria Stake19 Jun 2016Nigeria OwerriOnna Nigeria Stake17 Mar 2024Nigeria Port Harcourt SouthOron Nigeria District8 Mar 2009Nigeria UyoOtukpo Nigeria District16 Jul 2017Nigeria EnuguOwerri Nigeria North Stake27 Jan 2019Nigeria OwerriOwerri Nigeria Stake14 Jun 1998Nigeria OwerriPort Harcourt Nigeria Central Stake5 Sep 2021Nigeria Port Harcourt SouthPort Harcourt Nigeria Choba Stake8 Jul 2018Nigeria Port Harcourt NorthPort Harcourt Nigeria East Stake13 Nov 2011Nigeria Port Harcourt NorthPort Harcourt Nigeria Emuoha Stake15 Sep 2024Nigeria Port Harcourt NorthPort Harcourt Nigeria North Stake27 Nov 2016Nigeria Port Harcourt NorthPort Harcourt Nigeria South Stake27 Nov 2016Nigeria Port Harcourt SouthPort Harcourt Nigeria Stake25 Nov 1990Nigeria Port Harcourt SouthPort Harcourt Nigeria West Stake6 Jul 2003Nigeria Port Harcourt NorthUgep Nigeria District10 Apr 2022Nigeria EnuguUkat Aran Nigeria Stake19 Sep 1999Nigeria UyoUmuahia Nigeria South Stake12 May 2019Nigeria OwerriUmuahia Nigeria Stake18 May 2014Nigeria OwerriUyo Nigeria Central Stake20 Aug 2023Nigeria UyoUyo Nigeria Stake9 Dec 2001Nigeria UyoWarri Nigeria Stake7 Jul 2013Nigeria Benin CityYenagoa Nigeria Stake14 May 2017Nigeria Port Harcourt North

Missions The LDS Church announced creation of new Owerri mission in Nigeria in 2016. The Nigeria Aba and Nigeria Abuja missions were created in July 2023 bringing the total number of missions in Nigeria to nine.

MissionOrganizedNigeria Aba Mission1 Jul 2023Nigeria Abuja Mission1 Jul 2023Nigeria Benin City Mission1 Jul 2013Nigeria Calabar MissionJun 2024Nigeria Enugu Mission1 Jul 1992Nigeria Ibadan Mission1 Jul 1992Nigeria Lagos Mission1 Jul 1980Nigeria Owerri Mission1 Jul 2016Nigeria Port Harcourt North MissionJun 2024Nigeria Port Harcourt South Mission1 Jul 1988Nigeria Uyo Mission1 Jul 2002

Temples Temples in Nigeria

Nigeria currently has 1 operating temple, 2 under construction, and 4 other prospective temples that have been announced.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Nigeria

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