Pope Leo appoints Adewale Martins as first Nigerian bishop to Vatican Dicastery

The head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of Vatican City, Pope Leo XIV, has appointed the Most Rev Alfred Adewale Martins as a member of the Dicastery for Evangelization, Section for First Evangelization, and the New Particular Churches.

The appointment makes Martins the first Nigerian bishop to serve as a member of the Vatican body.

The appointment, which took effect on June 30, 2026, was announced in a statement issued by the Secretary to the Archbishop of Lagos, Rev. Fr. Paul Ariole.

Ariole described the appointment as a recognition of Archbishop Martins’ 27 years of episcopal ministry and outstanding service to the Catholic Church in sub-Saharan Africa.

According to the statement, the Dicastery for Evangelization, restructured under Pope Francis through the 2022 Apostolic Constitution Praedicate Evangelium and with its mandate renewed under Pope Leo XIV, is responsible for promoting the New Evangelization in historically Christian societies and supporting the growth of mission Churches across the Global South.

Ariole added that Martins “brings exceptional experience and competence to both dimensions of this mission.”

Ariole noted that Martins would continue to serve as Archbishop of Lagos while contributing to the work of the Vatican Dicastery.

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“Archbishop Martins will contribute to the Dicastery’s assemblies, consultations, and decision-making processes while continuing to serve as Archbishop of Lagos. Based in Lagos, he will participate in the work of the Dicastery in Rome as required,” he stated.

Describing the appointment as historic for the region, Ariole said: “His appointment to the Dicastery for Evangelization marks a significant moment for the Church in Nigeria and West Africa. A Church that once received missionaries now sends one of its most experienced shepherds to help shape the global mission of evangelization.

“His pastoral experience, forged within the complexities of Africa’s largest megacity, offers a valuable perspective to the work of the Dicastery and to the Church’s missionary outreach in the twenty-first century.”

Born on June 1, 1959, in Abeokuta, the capital of Ogun State, Archbishop Martins was ordained a priest on September 18, 1983, by Anthony Cardinal Okogie.

He later became the first Bishop of Abeokuta in 1997 after his appointment by Pope John Paul II, before being named Archbishop of Lagos in 2012 by Pope Benedict XVI.

Since assuming leadership of the Archdiocese of Lagos, he has ordained 84 priests, expanded the Archdiocese from seven to 20 deaneries, and dedicated more than 50 churches and parishes, while shepherding about 3.5 million Catholics.