Catholic Bishops elect new President, others

The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) has elected the Archbishop of the Catholic Archdiocese of Kaduna, Matthew Man-Oso Ndagoso, as its new President.

Ndagoso emerged alongside other members of the conference’s executive at the ongoing 2026 First Plenary Meeting of Catholic Bishops holding in Abuja.

He succeeds Lucius Ugorji, Archbishop of Owerri, Imo State, whose four-year tenure as CBCN president expires this February.

The CBCN is the apex body of the Catholic Church in Nigeria, providing spiritual leadership, coordinating social engagement, and serving as a moral voice that unites bishops, clergy, the faithful, and the wider society.

A statement on Tuesday by the Secretary-General of the Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria, Very Rev. Fr. Michael Ayanleke Banjo, said the newly elected officials would be formally presented at the plenary’s closing ceremony on Wednesday.

The elections were held on Monday, 24 February 2026, during the First Plenary Assembly of the bishops at the Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria, (CSN) Abuja.

Archbishop Ndagoso will serve alongside the Archbishop of Lagos, Alfred Adewale Martins, who was elected Vice-President.

Also elected were the Bishop of Abeokuta, Peter Odetoyinbo, as Secretary, and the Bishop of Abakaliki, Peter Chukwu, as Assistant Secretary.

“We are pleased to announce the newly elected principal officials of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria,” the statement said, listing the new leadership.

It added that other bishops were also elected to oversee various directorates, departments, and units of the Catholic Secretariat and CBCN agencies.

“Please keep them in your prayers as they take up the responsibility of leading the Conference over the next four years in faithful service to the Church and the common good,” the statement said.

Archbishop Ndagoso, born on 3 January 1960 into a family practising traditional religion, later converted to Catholicism and was ordained a priest on 4 October 1986.

He has served as the Archbishop of the Catholic Archdiocese of Kaduna since November 2007 and was formally installed on 30 January 2008. Prior to his appointment as Archbishop, he was the pioneer Rector of Good Shepherd Major Seminary, Kaduna, from 1999 to 2003.

While serving as Rector, he was appointed Bishop of Maiduguri in 2003, a position he held until 2007 before his elevation to the Archdiocese of Kaduna.

Archbishop Ndagoso is widely recognised for his advocacy of inter-religious dialogue, environmental stewardship and peacebuilding efforts, particularly in Northern Nigeria. He has consistently emphasised that religion should serve as a tool for unity rather than division.

He has also been vocal in addressing insecurity in the region, speaking out against the kidnapping and killing of clergy, including the 2020 murder of seminarian Michael Nnadi.

Before his election as President, Archbishop Ndagoso served as Vice-President of the CBCN from 2022, working closely with the immediate past President, Lucius Iwejuru Ugorji, the Archbishop of Owerri.