By N.T.A Efo
Dominic Cardinal Ekandem was a towering son of Akwa Ibom, a pioneering Catholic churchman, nation-builder and visionary whose life of faith, courage, service and leadership left an enduring imprint on Nigeria and the wider African Church.
Born in 1917 in Obio Ibiono, in present-day Ibiono Ibom Local Government Area, Dominic Ignatius Ekandem emerged from humble beginnings to become one of the most distinguished religious figures in Nigeria’s history.
He received his early education at St. Joseph’s School, Anua, Uyo, before proceeding to Christ the King’s College, Onitsha. He subsequently undertook seminary formation at St. Paul’s Senior Seminary, Okpala, and later at Bigard Memorial Seminary, Enugu.
He was ordained a Catholic priest on December 7, 1947. His priestly ministry soon distinguished him as a man of exceptional intellect, discipline, pastoral commitment and leadership. He served in parish ministry and later became Rector of Queen of Apostles Seminary, Afaha Obong. His gifts and dedication to the Church were recognised early, and in 1954 he was consecrated Auxiliary Bishop of Calabar. At the time of his episcopal consecration, he was among the youngest Catholic bishops in Anglophone West Africa. His elevation represented a significant milestone in the emergence of indigenous African leadership within the Catholic Church.
In 1963, following the creation of the Diocese of Ikot Ekpene, Bishop Ekandem became its first bishop. From Ikot Ekpene, he provided pastoral and administrative leadership while helping to strengthen the Catholic Church’s presence and institutions in the region.
His influence, however, extended far beyond Akwa Ibom. Following the Nigerian Civil War, he served as Apostolic Administrator of the Diocese of Port Harcourt from 1970 to 1973. He subsequently became President of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria, serving from 1973 to 1979.
He also played an important role in the emergence of a united Christian voice in Nigeria. Cardinal Ekandem was the pioneer President of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), helping to lay the foundation for an organisation that would become an important platform for Christian cooperation, dialogue and engagement on national issues.
In 1976, his name was written into the history of the Catholic Church in Nigeria and Africa when Pope Paul VI elevated him to the College of Cardinals. Cardinal Ekandem became the first Nigerian Catholic Cardinal and the first native West African to attain the cardinalate. His elevation was a landmark in the history of the African Church and a powerful symbol of the emergence of indigenous leadership within a global institution.
Long before the establishment of Nigeria’s National Missionary Seminary of St. Paul, Cardinal Ekandem had championed the idea of training Nigerian priests who would not only serve their own communities but also become missionaries to other parts of Africa and beyond. Following the challenge of Pope Paul VI that the Church in Africa should increasingly become a missionary Church, Cardinal Ekandem renewed his advocacy for a Nigerian missionary institution. His vision eventually gave birth to the Missionary Society of St. Paul of Nigeria, making him its founding father. The Society, which began with the establishment of the National Missionary Seminary of St. Paul in 1977, has since grown into an important missionary institution with priests serving in Nigeria and beyond.
In 1981, Cardinal Ekandem was appointed Ecclesiastical Superior of the newly established Abuja Independent Mission. He was entrusted with the responsibility of building the Catholic presence in the Federal Capital Territory. When the Abuja territory was raised to the status of a diocese in 1989, Cardinal Ekandem became its first bishop, with the personal title of Archbishop. Under his pioneering leadership, the foundations of what would become the Catholic Archdiocese of Abuja were strengthened.
His service to the Church also extended to the wider African continent. He served as President of the Association of Episcopal Conferences of Anglophone West Africa, giving him a broader platform to contribute to the development of Christianity and episcopal leadership in the region.
A man of learning and reflection, Cardinal Ekandem was also an author. His published works included Shepherd Among Shepherds, alongside addresses and writings arising from his years of ecclesiastical leadership.
His national contributions were recognised with prestigious honours, including the Commander of the Order of the Niger (CON) and the Commander of the Order of the Federal Republic (CFR). He was also honoured with an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE).
After attaining the canonical retirement age, he retired as Archbishop of Abuja in 1992. He continued to serve as a respected elder statesman of the Nigerian Church until his death on November 24, 1995, in Abuja.
As Akwa Ibom celebrates 39 years of statehood, we remember and honour Dominic Cardinal Ekandem, a son of the soil, a pathfinder of the Nigerian Church, a pioneer of African missionary consciousness and one of Akwa Ibom’s enduring leading lights.
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