Nicholas Dikeriehi Orogodo Okoh (born 10 November 1952, at Owa-Alero in the Delta State) is the former

archbishop In Christian denominations, an archbishop is a bishop of higher rank or office. In most cases, such as the Catholic Church, there are many archbishops who either have jurisdiction over an ecclesiastical province in addition to their own archdi ...

of Abuja Province and primate of the Church of Nigeria in the Anglican Communion. He retired on 25 March 2020. He has been married to Nkasiobi Amaechi since 1986 and they have five children.

Ecclesiastical career

The son of poor peasant farmers, his initial education was at St. Michael's (Anglican) School, in Owa-Alero, from 1958 to 1964, when he got his First School Leaving Certificate. He worked then for four years at his uncle's business, until starting his own. He joined the Nigerian Army in 1969, having not yet been confirmed. He fought in the Nigerian Civil War in 1970, losing his faith at the end of hostilities. He had a sudden conversion in early 1971, reading then the entire Bible. He was confirmed at St. Stephen's Cathedral Ondro, in 1975. Okoh continued his religious studies, becoming a freelance Evangelist and a catechist, from 1975 to 1976. He undertook his Pastoral Studies at Immanuel College of Theology, in Ibadan from 1976 to 1979, obtaining a Diploma in Religious Studies and another in Theology. He was ordained a deacon in July 1979 and a priest in July 1980. He continued his studies at the University of Ibadan, from 1979 to 1982, receiving a B.A., and later from 1984 to 1985, obtaining his M.A. degree. He became a canon in 1987 and an

archdeacon An archdeacon is a senior clergy position in the Church of the East, Chaldean Catholic Church, Syriac Orthodox Church, Anglican Communion, St Thomas Christians, Eastern Orthodox churches and some other Christian denominations, above that o ...

in April 1991. He was consecrated as the second bishop of the Diocese of Asaba in May 2001. He was elected the Archbishop of the Ecclesiastical Province of Bendel on 22 July 2005 following the death of Archbishop Albert Agbaje. Okoh served in the Nigerian Army, being commissioned as a lieutenant in 1982, promoted to captain in 1986, then to major in 1991 and lieutenant-colonel in 1996, his current rank. In July 2009, in a sermon in Beckenham, Kent, Okoh made statements suggesting that Africa was under attack from Islam and that Muslims are "mass-producing" children to take over communities on the continent. He said that there was a determined Islamic attack in African countries such as Uganda, Kenya and Rwanda, a statement for which he was criticized by Muslims.

Archbishop of Nigeria

He was elected Primate on September 15, 2009, having worked with the previous Primate, the Most Reverend

Peter Akinola Peter Jasper Akinola (born 27 January 1944, in Abeokuta) is the former Anglican Primate of the Church of Nigeria. He is also the former bishop of Abuja and Archbishop of Province III, which covered the northern and central parts of the coun ...

for a couple of transition months. He was installed as the 4th Primate of the Church of Nigeria on March 25, 2010, also becoming the 2nd Bishop of Abuja and Archbishop of Abuja Province. He has been one of the leading names of the Anglican realignment, both as a member of the

Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans The Global Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans (branded as GAFCON or Gafcon) is a global network of conservative Anglican churches that formed in 2008 in response to an ongoing theological crisis in the worldwide Anglican Communion. Conservative ...

and the Global South (Anglican). Okoh led the large delegation of 470 members of the Church of Nigeria that attended

GAFCON The Global Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans (branded as GAFCON or Gafcon) is a global network of conservative Anglicanism, Anglican churches that formed in 2008 in response to an ongoing theological crisis in the worldwide Anglican Communion. ...

2, from 21 to 26 October 2013, in Nairobi, Kenya. Okoh was one of the speakers at the Colloquium on Marriage, held in the Vatican, in November 2014, at invitation of Pope Francis, whom he had the chance to meet and greet at the occasion. In 2017 he was one of three Anglican primates to decline to attend the international

primates' meeting The Anglican Communion Primates' Meetings are regular meetings of the primates in the Anglican Communion, i.e. the principal archbishops or bishops of each (often national) ecclesiastical province of the Anglican Communion. There are currently 38 p ...

due to disagreements with other churches of the Anglican Communion, citing "broken fellowship over homosexual practice, same-sex marriage, and the blurring of gender identity". Speaking in Abuja in 2018 Okoh said that homosexuality is "veritably poisoning" Nigerian society, blaming satellite broadcasting and international media, and the disruption of traditional culture through urbanisation. It was announced at the conclusion of

3 on 22 June 2018 in

Jerusalem, Israel Jerusalem (; he, יְרוּשָׁלַיִם ; ar, القُدس ) (combining the Biblical and common usage Arabic names); grc, Ἱερουσαλήμ/Ἰεροσόλυμα, Hierousalḗm/Hierosóluma; hy, Երուսաղեմ, Erusałēm. i ...

that in early 2019 Archbishop Okoh will step down as Chairman of

's Primates Council. He was succeeded by Archbishop

Foley Beach Foley Thomas Beach (born October 31, 1958) is an American bishop. He is the second primate and archbishop of the Anglican Church in North America, a church associated with the Anglican realignment movement. Foley was elected as the church's prima ...

, Primate of the Anglican Church in North America.

References

External links

Biography on website of the Church of Nigeria
{{DEFAULTSORT:Okoh, Nicholas Living people 1952 births 21st-century Anglican archbishops Primates of the Church of Nigeria Evangelical Anglican bishops Alumni of Immanuel College of Theology, Ibadan Anglican bishops of Asaba Anglican archbishops of Abuja Anglican archbishops of Bendel Anglican bishops of Abuja Anglican realignment people