Pope Leo XIV has appointed the Archbishop of Lagos, Alfred Adewale Martins, as a member of the Dicastery for Evangelization, making him the first Nigerian bishop to serve on the Vatican body.

The appointment, effective June 30, was announced in a statement by the Secretary to the Archbishop of Lagos, Paul Ariole, who described it as recognition of Martins’ 27 years of episcopal ministry and service to the Church in sub-Saharan Africa.

The dicastery, restructured under Pope Francis and renewed under Pope Leo XIV, is responsible for promoting evangelization in historically Christian societies and supporting mission churches across the Global South. The statement said Martins brought exceptional experience to both dimensions of that mission.

Born in Abeokuta in 1959 and ordained in 1983, Martins became the first Bishop of Abeokuta in 1997 before being named Archbishop of Lagos in 2012. Since then he has ordained 84 priests, expanded the archdiocese from seven to 20 deaneries and dedicated more than 50 churches while shepherding about 3.5 million Catholics.

The statement said Martins would continue as Archbishop of Lagos while contributing to the dicastery’s work in Rome as required, describing the appointment as a significant moment for the Church in Nigeria and West Africa, as a Church that once received missionaries now sends one of its most experienced shepherds to help shape global evangelization.