Pope Leo XIV has appointed the Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Uromi, Most Rev. Donatus Ogun, O.S.A., as the Apostolic Administrator of the Catholic Archdiocese of Benin City pending the appointment of a substantive Metropolitan Archbishop.
The appointment follows the recent death of the Metropolitan Archbishop of Benin City, Most Rev. Augustine Obiora Akubeze.
The decision was conveyed in a letter dated July 10, 2026, from the Apostolic Nunciature in Nigeria to the Chancellor of the Archdiocese of Benin City, Rev. Fr. Michael Oyanoafoh.
The letter, signed by the Apostolic Nuncio to Nigeria, Archbishop Michael F. Crotty, stated that the Dicastery for Evangelization, acting under the faculties granted by Pope Leo XIV, approved Bishop Ogun’s appointment to provide interim leadership for the Archdiocese during the period of vacancy.
According to the communication, the appointment takes immediate effect, with the Chancellor directed to notify all priests of the Archdiocese accordingly.
The Holy See explained that the appointment was made to ensure the continued governance and pastoral administration of the Archdiocese while the process of selecting and appointing a new Metropolitan Archbishop is ongoing.
Archbishop Crotty also conveyed the Holy See’s condolences to the priests, religious and lay faithful of the Archdiocese of Benin City, assuring them of his prayers as they mourn the passing of Archbishop Akubeze.
Under the Catholic Church’s canon law, an Apostolic Administrator is appointed by the Holy See to oversee the administration of a diocese or archdiocese during a vacancy or other exceptional circumstances. The administrator exercises the ordinary governance of the local Church until a substantive bishop or archbishop is appointed and installed.
Bishop Donatus Ogun, a member of the Order of Saint Augustine (O.S.A.), has served as Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Uromi and is expected to oversee the affairs of the Benin Archdiocese while maintaining continuity in its pastoral, administrative and ecclesiastical responsibilities until the Vatican names a new Metropolitan Archbishop.
