Chronology of Catholic Dioceses: Nigeria

See a list of abbreviations used in this list. See also our listing of current ecclesial jurisdictions.

Regarding Dahomey, and Lower Niger:

1514

Funchal (established by the Portuguese, see footnote) - Portugal

1534

São Tomé / São Tomé e Príncipe (detached from Funchal) - São Tomé and Principe

1842

The Two Guineas and Senegambia (AP, detached from São Tomé, and from Funchal) - West African Coast between the Senegal River and the Oranje River, except Loanda/Angola

1846

The Two Guineas and Senegambia (AV) - West African Coast between the Senegal River and the Oranje River, except Loanda/Angola

1863

Gabon (new name, previously The Two Guineas and Senegambia AV) - West African coast from Guinea to the Oranje River, except Angola

Regarding Yola:

1204

Constantinople (Latin Patriarchate from now, de facto established by the Pope through Venice) - (Latin Empire of Constantinople) Turkey

1742

Constantinople (AV, supplanting the Latin Patriarchal Vicars / suffragan Bishops) - (Ottoman Empire) Turkey

1762

Aleppo (AV, detached from Constantinople AV) - (Ottoman Empire) Syria, Lebanon, etc.

1818

Syria, Egypt, Arabia and Cyprus (AV, new name, previously Aleppo AV; see in Beirut) - (Ottoman Empire) Syria, Lebanon, Cyprus, Egypt, Sudan, Arabian Peninsula

1839

Egypt and Arabia (AV, detached from detached from the AV of Syria, Egypt, Arabia and Cyprus) - Egypt, Sudan, Abyssinia, Arabian Peninsula

1846

Sudan / Central Africa (AV, detached from Egypt and Arabia AV) - Sudan, Chad, Niger, Nigeria, Cameroon

1890

Cameroon (AP, detached from The Two Guineas AV) - (Kamerun) Cameroon

1904

Cameroon (AV) - (Kamerun) Cameroon

1914

Adamaua (AP, detached from Sudan / Central Africa) - (Kamerun) Cameroon

1923

Buéa (AP, detached from Cameroon AV and from Adamaua AV) - (British Cameroons) Cameroon

1860

Dahomey (AV, detached from The Two Guineas and Senegambia, AV) - Nigeria

1870

Benin Coast (AV, new name, previously Dahomey AV) - Nigeria

1884

Upper Niger (AP, detached from Benin Coast AV and Two Guineas AV) - Nigeria

1889

Lower Niger (AP, detached from The Two Guineas AV) - Nigeria

1911

Western Nigeria (AP, new name, previously Upper Niger) - Nigeria

1911

Eastern Nigeria (AP, detached from Upper Niger) - Nigeria

1918

Western Nigeria (AV) - Nigeria

1920

Southern Nigeria (AV, and new name, previously Lower Niger AP) - Nigeria

1929

Northern Nigeria (AP, and new name, previously Eastern Nigeria AP) - Nigeria

1934

Kaduna (AP, and new name, previously Northern Nigeria AP) - Nigeria

1934

Onitsha-Owerri (AV, and new name, previously Southern Nigeria AV) - Nigeria

1934

Benue (AP, detached from Southern Nigeria AV) - Nigeria

1934

Calabar (AP, detached from Southern Nigeria AV) - Nigeria

1934

Jos (AP, detached from Northern Nigeria, AP) - Nigeria

1938

Ogoja (AP, detached from Calabar) - Nigeria

1943

Asaba-Benin (AV, new name, previously Western Nigeria) - Nigeria

1943

Lagos (AV, new name, previously Benin Coast AV) - Nigeria

1943

Ondo-Ilorin (AV, detached from Benin Coast AV) - Nigeria

1947

Calabar (AV) - Nigeria

1948

Onitsha (AV, and new name, previously Onitsha-Owerri AV) - Nigeria

1948

Owerri (AV, detached from Onitsha-Owerri) - Nigeria

1949

Oyo (AP, detached from Lagos) - Nigeria

1950

Lagos (Metr.) - Nigeria

1950

Onitsha (Metr.) - Nigeria

1950

Benin City (D, and new name, previously Asaba-Benin) - Nigeria

1950

Calabar - Nigeria

1950

Ondo (D, and new name, previously Ondo-Ilorin AV) - Nigeria

1950

Oturkpo (AP, and new name, previously Benue AP) - Nigeria

1950

Owerri - Nigeria

1950

Yola (AP, detached from Jos, from Oturkpo, and from Buéa) - Nigeria

1952

Ibadan (AP, detached from Lagos) - Nigeria

1953

Jos - Nigeria

1953

Kaduna - Nigeria

1953

Maiduguri (AP, detached from Jos) - Nigeria

1953

Sokoto (AP, detached from Kaduna) - Nigeria

1955

Ogoja - Nigeria

1955

Kabba (AP, detached from Benin City, from Kaduna, and from Oturkpo) - Nigeria

1958

Ibadan - Nigeria

1958

Umuahia (detached from Owerri) - Nigeria

1959

Kaduna (Metr., was part of the Metropolitan Province of Lagos) - Nigeria

1959

Oturkpo - Nigeria

1960

Makurdi (new name, previously Oturkpo) - Nigeria

1960

Ilorin (AP, detached from Ondo) - Nigeria

1961

Port Hartcourt (detached from Owerri) - Nigeria

1962

Enugu (detached from Onitsha) - Nigeria

1962

Yola - Nigeria

1963

Ikot Ekpene (detached from Calabar) - Nigeria

1963

Oyo - Nigeria

1964

Kabba - Nigeria

1964

Minna (AP, detached from Kaduna) - Nigeria

1964

Sokoto - Nigeria

1964

Warri (detached from Benin City) - Nigeria

1965

Lokoja (new name, previously Kabba) - Nigeria

1966

Maiduguri - Nigeria

1968

Idah (AP, detached from Lokoja) - Nigeria

1969

Ilorin - Nigeria

1969

Ijebu-Ode (detached from Lagos) - Nigeria

1972

Ado-Ekiti (30/6, detached from Ondo) - Nigeria

1972

Ekiti (11/12, new name, previously Ado-Ekiti) - Nigeria

1973

Abakaliki (detached from Ogoja) - Nigeria

1973

Minna - Nigeria

1973

Issele-Uku (detached from Benin City) - Nigeria

1977

Idah - Nigeria

1977

Awka (detached from Onitsha) - Nigeria

1980

Orlu (detached from Owerri) - Nigeria

1981

Abuja (Mission "sui iuris", detached from Minna) - Nigeria

1981

Okigwe (detached from Umuahia) - Nigeria

1987

Ahiara (detached from Owerri) - Nigeria

1989

Abuja - Nigeria

1989

Uyo (detached from Calabar) - Nigeria

1990

Aba (detached from Umuahia) - Nigeria

1990

Nsukka (detached from Enugu) - Nigeria

1991

Bomadi (Mission "sui iuris", detached from Warri, and from Port Hartcourt) - Nigeria

1991

Kano (Mission "sui iuris", detached from Kaduna) - Nigeria

1994

Abuja (Metr., was part of the Metropolitan Province of Kaduna) - Nigeria

1994

Benin City (Metr., was part of the Metropolitan Province of Lagos) - Nigeria

1994

Calabar (Metr., was part of the Metropolitan Province of Onitsha) - Nigeria

1994

Ibadan (Metr., was part of the Metropolitan Province of Lagos) - Nigeria

1994

Jos (Metr., was part of the Metropolitan Province of Kaduna) - Nigeria

1994

Owerri (Metr., was part of the Metropolitan Province of Onitsha) - Nigeria

1995

Jalingo (detached from Yola) - Nigeria

1995

Kafanchan (detached from Jos, and from Kaduna) - Nigeria

1995

Kano (AV) - Nigeria

1995

Kontagora (AP, detached from Ilorin, from Minna, and from Sokoto) - Nigeria

1995

Osogbo (detached from Oyo) - Nigeria

1995

Otukpo (detached from Makurdi) - Nigeria

1996

Bauchi (AV, detached from Jos) - Nigeria

1997

Bomadi (AV) - Nigeria

1997

Abeokuta (detached from Lagos) - Nigeria

1999

Kano (D) - Nigeria

2000

Lafia (detached from Jos, and from Makurdi) - Nigeria

2000

Zaria (detached from Kaduna) - Nigeria

2001

Nnewi (detached from Onitsha) - Nigeria

2002

Auchi (detached from Benin City) - Nigeria

2002

Kontagora (AV) - Nigeria

2003

Bauchi (D) - Nigeria

2005

Awgu (detached from Onitsha) - Nigeria

2005

Uromi (detached from Benin City) - Nigeria

2007

Shendam (detached from Jos) - Nigeria

2020

Ekwulobia (detached from Awka) - Nigeria

2020

Kontagora (D) - Nigeria

2023

Katsina (detached from Sokoto) - Nigeria