Aba Nigeria Temple

Aba Nigeria Temple
Number	121
Dedication	7 August 2005 (7 August 2005) by Gordon B. Hinckley
Site	6.3 acres (2.5 hectares)
Floor area	11,500 sq ft (1,070 m2)
Preceded by	San Antonio Texas Temple
Followed by	Newport Beach California Temple
Official website • News & images
Additional information Announcement 2 April 2000 Groundbreaking 23 February 2002 by H. Bruce Stucki Open House 18 June – 2 July 2005 Current President Alexander A. Odume (2010) Designed by Adeniyi Coker Consultants Limited Location Okpu-Umuoba Road Aba, Abia State Nigeria Exterior finish Namibian pearl granite Temple design Classic modern, single-spire design Ordinance rooms 2 with Movie, two-stage progressive sessions Sealing rooms 2 Clothing rental No Cafeteria No services Visitors'  center No

The Aba Nigeria Temple is the 121st operating temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

An announcement was made on April 2, 2000 that a Mormon temple would be built in Aba, in the state of Abia, to serve the nation's 68,000 Latter-day Saints. This temple was the third temple to be built in Africa. The highly visible temple site is 6.3 acres (25,000 m²) on the outskirts of Aba along the Ogbor River. A bridge had to be built over the river to provide access to the temple.

A groundbreaking ceremony and site dedication was held on February 23, 2002. More than 2,000 people were present at the ceremony including Mormon members, Church leaders, tribal chiefs from the area, and government leaders. Construction began soon after the site dedication. An open house was held from June 18 to July 2, 2005 to allow people to tour the inside of the temple and learn about the ceremonies performed inside Mormon temples.

On Saturday August 6, 2005, the day before the temple was dedicated, a celebration was held, recounting the story of the area through song and dance. President of the LDS Church, Gordon B. Hinckley, dedicated the Aba Nigeria Temple on August 7, 2005. More than 7,000 people were present for the dedication.

The Aba Nigeria Temple has a total floor area of 11,500 square feet (1,070 m²), two ordinance rooms, and two sealing rooms. The outer walls are made of Namibian pearl granite.

Closing

The temple was closed from mid June, 2009, because of violence in the Aba area.

The closing and evacuation followed mid-June gunfire in the area around the temple. In an e-mail to the Ogden Standard-Examiner a Nigeria temple worker reported an incident in which four gunmen were seen carrying AK-47s, with shooting reported in the area around the temple. Bullets from the shooting struck the guardhouse on the temple grounds.

Additionally, the city of Aba and its Nigerian state of Abia have seen a marked increase in reported kidnappings this year, including the 2007 kidnapping of four missionaries near Port Harcourt.

When asked about the reason for closing of the temple, LDS Church spokesman Scott Trotter said, "The safety of our temple visitors and workers is always our first concern. Incidents of violence in recent months in the area where the temple is situated are not necessarily related to the temple but could put church members at risk."

In 2010 Alexander A. Odume was called as president of the Aba Nigeria Temple, the first Nigerian to serve as temple president. The temple opened largely on the basis of people scheduling any endowment sessions. As of late 2011 the temple had resumed regular operations.

Temple Presidents

1. Jerry V. Kirk, 2005–2007
2. B. Taylor Harper, 2007–2009
3. Douglas M. Robinson, 2009–2010
4. Alexander A. Odume, 2010–present

See also

• Temple (Latter Day Saints)
• List of temples of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
• List of temples of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints by geographic region
• Comparison of temples of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
• Temple architecture (Latter-day Saints)

External links

Media related to Aba Nigeria Temple at Wikimedia Commons

• Official Aba Nigeria Temple page
• Aba Nigeria Temple page