In Nigeria, Church Aims to Establish a University

The campaign to collect funds was presented by all the Nigerian bishops during their plenary assembly here.

Archbishop John Onaiyekan of Abuja, president of the bishops' conference, underlined that the Church in Nigeria also has ecclesial institutions at the university level.

"Our seminaries are affiliated with universities in Nigeria and in Rome and their degrees are recognized all over the world," he said. Moreover, "the Catholic Institute of West Africa at Port Harcourt has conferred university degrees for more than 20 years."

The project for the new university is only the first of a series of such institutions of higher learning in the country. A time frame for the new school was not immediately announced.

The participants at the plenary assembly voiced the conviction that the new Catholic university would help to elevate the national educational standard.