By Fr. Michael Nsikak Umoh
The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) will hold its second 2026 plenary assembly in the Diocese of Osogbo from September 10–18, continuing the conference’s long-standing practice of rotating the meeting among Nigeria’s ecclesiastical provinces.
This year’s move comes from Ikot Ekpene Diocese in the Calabar Ecclesiastical Province to Osogbo in the Ibadan Ecclesiastical Province. Unless plans change, the CBCN is expected to convene next in a diocese within the Jos Province, followed by provinces in Kaduna and Lagos.
For the Osogbo Diocese, hosting the plenary is a major event that brings nearly all of Nigeria’s Catholic bishops together in one place. Most Rev. John Akinkunmi Oyejola, the Local Ordinary of Osogbo, has led priests, religious and lay faithful in months of preparations, describing the task as both a spiritual privilege and a Christian responsibility. The opening ceremony will be held at St. Benedict’s Cathedral in Osogbo, while working sessions and deliberations will take place at the Diocesan Pastoral Centre in nearby Ede. The Ede centre, recently upgraded, offers a chapel, main conference hall, several residential blocks with refurbished and new rooms, landscaped walkways, shaded outdoor seating and a large green field suited for quiet reflection.
Very Rev. Fr. Joseph Abe, Director of the Pastoral Centre, revealed during a site inspection that logistical work is about 90% complete. He said major structural and utility checks are finished, and remaining tasks are mainly cosmetic such as painting to ready the compound for the arriving prelates.