Aba Nigeria Temple

The Aba Nigeria Temple is a temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints located on the outskirts of Aba, Abia State, Nigeria, north of the Ogbor River. Announced on April 2, 2000, by church president Gordon B. Hinckley during general conference, it became the first temple in Nigeria, the second in West Africa, and the third in Africa, following those in Johannesburg and Accra. The single-spire building is 1,070 m2 (11, 500 ft2), has Namibian pearl granite on its exterior, and includes two instruction rooms, two sealing rooms, and a baptistry. The temple complex covers 2.5 ha (6.3 acres) and also includes patron housing, a stake center, and an administration office building.

On April 2, 2000, Gordon B. Hinckley announced Nigeria's first temple during general conference. Two years later, on February 23, 2002, H. Bruce Stucki, a general authority and president of the church's Africa West Area, presided over a groundbreaking ceremony attended by more than 2,000 people, including government officials and tribal chiefs. The temple site is on a hillside north of the Ogbor River, where early Nigerian converts had been baptized. The church constructed a concrete bridge to span the river and provide access to the site. After construction was completed, a public open house was held from June 18 to July 2, 2005, with more than 25,000 visitors attending. Prior to this, about 100 media representatives and 800 community leaders toured the temple. Local church members also contributed to preparations, including sewing draperies, bedding, and other furnishings for the temple and housing facilities. The temple was dedicated by Hinckley in four sessions on August 7, 2005, with 7,415 church members attending. At the time, Nigeria had more than 66,000 Latter-day Saints, with over 120,000 across West Africa. By 2021, church membership in Nigeria had grown to about 225,000 in roughly 770 congregations, and additional temples were later announced for Benin City, Eket, Lagos, and Calabar. In June 2009, the temple was closed indefinitely due to rising violence and kidnappings in Aba. Gunfire was reported near the temple grounds, and bullets struck the guardhou

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