The National Church of Nigeria (previously known as the Nigerian Ecumenical Centre and officially known as the National Christian Centre) is the primary Christian

Christianity

Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...

 place of worship in Nigeria

Nigeria

Nigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...

, a country with a substantial Christian population (see Christianity in Nigeria

Christianity in Nigeria

Christianity is a major religion in Nigeria accounting for about 50% of the population. Based on a 2003Nigerian Religious and Demographic survey, Christians comprised 48.2% of the Nigerian population. Christians are dominant in the southern and central region in Nigeria...

). It is located in Abuja

Abuja

Abuja is the capital city of Nigeria. It is located in the centre of Nigeria, within the Federal Capital Territory . Abuja is a planned city, and was built mainly in the 1980s. It officially became Nigeria's capital on 12 December 1991, replacing Lagos...

, the capital city. The National Church of Nigeria is an inter-denominational church.

History

The church was built by Italian construction firm Gitto Costruzioni Generali Nigeria Ltd. The project, which was started around 1989, lay dormant for several years until 2004, when the Christian Association of Nigeria

Christian Association of Nigeria

The Christian Association of Nigeria is an umbrella organization containing numerous Christian denominations in Nigeria.-Leadership:Ayo Oritsejafor, Senior Pastor of Word of Life Bible Church,is the President and Archbishop Daniel Okoh, President of the Organisation of African Instituted Churches,...

 organized a committee to ensure its speedy completion. The dedication, on the 2nd of October 2005, coincided with the celebration of Nigeria’s 45th anniversary as an independent nation.

The dedication service was presided over by Reverend Peter Akinola

Peter Akinola

Peter Jasper Akinola is the former Anglican Primate of the Church of Nigeria. He is also the former Bishop of Abuja and Archbishop of Province III, which covers the northern and central parts of the country....

, the Anglican

Church of Nigeria

The Church of Nigeria is the Anglican church in Nigeria. It is the second-largest province in the Anglican Communion, as measured by baptized membership, after the Church of England. It gives its current membership as "over 18 million", out of a total Nigerian population of 140 million.Since 2002...

 Primate

Primate (religion)

Primate is a title or rank bestowed on some bishops in certain Christian churches. Depending on the particular tradition, it can denote either jurisdictional authority or ceremonial precedence ....

of Nigeria.

Layout and access

The church is built in a neo-gothic style and has several pivoted arches with a wide nave leading to the altar. The altar, placed at the centre of the church completes a full rotation every ten minutes. A pipe organ is fitted to the right wing of the church, close to which sits the choir. Stained glass windows which employ a simple but attractive mix of yellow, green and red colours can be seen all around the church.

When not being used for Christian ceremonies, it is open to the public. Guided tours are available for anyone interested in having a look. In some cases, members of the public are only allowed to tour the church when accompanied by a guide.

External links