Holy See appoints Bishop Ogun as apostolic administrator of Benin archdiocese

THE Holy See has appointed the Bishop of Uromi, Most Rev. Donatus Ogun, O.S.A., as the Apostolic Administrator of the Archdiocese of Benin City following the sudden death of the Metropolitan Archbishop of Benin City, Most Rev. Augustine Obiora Akubeze.

The appointment, announced by the Apostolic Nuncio to Nigeria, His Excellency, Most Rev. Michael F. Crotty, is aimed at ensuring continuity in the spiritual and administrative leadership of the Archdiocese pending the appointment of a substantive Metropolitan Archbishop.

The decision was conveyed in an official circular dated July 10, 2026, issued by the Apostolic Nuncio and addressed to the Chancellor of the Archdiocese of Benin City, Rev. Fr. Michael Oyonafoh.

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According to the diplomatic correspondence (N° 2415/26), the appointment followed the unexpected passing of Archbishop Akubeze, whose death created a vacancy in one of Nigeria’s foremost Catholic ecclesiastical provinces.

The circular stated that the Dicastery for Evangelization, acting with the authority delegated by His Holiness Pope Leo XIV, approved the appointment after due consideration.

“The Dicastery for Evangelization, after due consideration and with faculties granted to it by His Holiness Pope Leo XIV, has appointed the Most Rev. Donatus Ogun, O.S.A., Bishop of Uromi, as the Apostolic Administrator of the Archdiocese of Benin City, pending the appointment of the new Archbishop,” the statement read.

The appointment takes immediate effect, with the Chancellor directed to formally communicate the development to priests, religious men and women, and the lay faithful across the Archdiocese.