By Archbishop Nikodemus, Metropolitan of Nigeria
From the depths of Benue State, in one of the most remote corners of Nigeria, here where the land is the real Africa, time flows at its own gentle pace.
To reach here one must travel a long road with patience, as access to these places requires endurance and strength. I must confess that I myself am always surprised by the inner calm I discover within me during these journeys. Yet the joy of the mission fills the heart with strength and hope.
In the towns of Adikpo and Ugba, very close to the border with Cameroon, I carried out my pastoral visit to the local Orthodox communities. On Thomas Sunday, April 19, 2026, I celebrated the Divine Liturgy together with the priests of the area, in a place simple and authentic: outdoors, among the huts of the local people, within a daily life that remains simple and deeply connected to the land.
As we traveled long distances through Orthodox communities and villages with huts and dirt roads in the countryside of this blessed land, we met people who live simply, with deep faith and generous hearts. At every stop the welcome was full of smiles and a sincere joy that is difficult to describe in words.
Despite the difficulties of daily life, the people of the region remain steadfast in their faith and support their living parishes with love. There it becomes clear that the mission does not depend on great resources, but mainly on the care, perseverance, and self-sacrifice of the clergy who serve the people of God.
A particularly moving moment at the beginning of the new day was our visit to the village of Father Andrew Ioraver. There we offered a memorial prayer for his late mother, in the presence of his entire family.
We continued our journey for many hours toward two Orthodox communities in the area. The roads were difficult and, in many places, almost impassable. Father Andrew’s vehicle repeatedly broke down, and several times we were forced to stop. Nevertheless, with the help of God and the prayers of the Saints, we reached the communities safely.
There we were met with a warm and touching welcome: the entire community, people of every age together with the local village leaders, had gathered to greet us and to express their joy that we had come back to them after a year.
We entered the church, venerated the holy place, and walked through the surrounding grounds. There I was shown the place where the priest’s residence will be built, and I also blessed the spot where a well will be dug so that it may serve the needs of the entire community.
After the welcome, we celebrated the blessing for the laying of the foundation stones at two different locations where new buildings will soon be constructed. The first will serve as a spiritual center and office space for the needs of the parish and its clergy, while the second will become a place where the women of the community will gather and carry out their activities. These buildings are also intended to serve the wider needs of the village, becoming a point of reference for the residents, where basic forms of support may be offered, such as the distribution of food and water, as well as simple forms of care for those in need.
At the same time, the newly built sanitation facilities of the community were also blessed. These facilities were constructed following my recommendation and were made possible through the financial support that has been secured for the various projects now underway.
Seeing these small yet meaningful steps, one cannot help but feel deep gratitude for those who carry the daily burden of missionary work.
I wish to express my heartfelt gratitude to all the donors who support the work of our local Church, contributing to initiatives and projects that strengthen and assist the local communities. At the same time, I would like to thank our clergy, the laborers of the Gospel in the region of Benue State, who travel tirelessly throughout the countryside, quite literally crossing the entire region as they plant the seeds of faith and strengthen the local communities. I thank them for their love, obedience, and dedication to the Patriarchate of Alexandria and All Africa, as well as to the Orthodox Metropolis of Nigeria. For collaborators such as these, one cannot but feel deep gratitude and pride.
