The Nigerian Priest Who Takes Humanitarian Work Personally by Valentine Benjamin

Fr. Peter Abue is not your typical clergyman. In March 2006, the Catholic priest at the Holy Family Parish in Ikom, located in Nigeria’s southern Cross River State, took a distinctive approach to his ministry by founding Children of Rural Africa (CORAfrica), a nonprofit organization focused on bridging educational gaps in one of Nigeria’s oil-rich regions.

More than 10 million Nigerian children do not have the opportunity to attend school, marking the highest rate in the world. This group represents at least 15 percent of the global out-of-school population, according to UNICEF.

Fr. Abue’s mission is dedicated to lifting the lives of children and orphans in underserved communities by providing them with free education, shelter, healthcare, agricultural assistance, and programs aimed at supporting the economic development of struggling families.

Through collaborations with churches and various organizations both within Nigeria and beyond, Fr. Abue established community education centers equipped with model educational facilities, skills-acquisition units for primary and secondary students, and healthcare services that emphasize disease prevention and treatment, essentially removing barriers that hinder children’s education and overall well-being.

“Fr. Peter’s humanitarian efforts for marginalized communities should be replicated throughout Nigeria and beyond,” said Lucy Asue, a businesswoman who operates an online store in Cross River and has known the priest for 15 years.

“The testament of his work is loud. When you mention Fr. Abue, you’re talking about the women in the diocese and the villages, including those who are non-Catholic and non-Christian, all of whom benefit from his business-support funds aimed at helping them start their own enterprises,” she said.

“He has an incredibly big heart. It takes someone truly compassionate to make such a difference in people’s lives, like building schools where he financially supports the teachers while keeping education free for the community,” she continued.

Fr. Abue was born into the family of His Royal Highness Butro (Chief) Peter M. Abue on April 27, 1958, in Idum-Mbube in Ogoja, Cross River State, where he completed his elementary education as the sixth of eight children.

His journey to the priesthood began at St. Augustine Junior Seminary in Ezzamgbo in 1971, where he remained until 1975. As instructed by the late Bishop Joseph Ukpo, he undertook his first teaching position at Primary School Idum-Mbube in 1976.

After this, he continued his education at Bigard Memorial Seminary Ikot Ekpene—now St. Joseph Major Seminary—where he earned a bachelor of philosophy in 1979.

In 1980, Fr. Abue returned to St. Augustine for a second teaching stint, which concluded in 1981. To deepen his understanding of God, Scripture, and the complexities of the world, he enrolled in Bigard Memorial Seminary Enugu, where he graduated with a bachelor of divinity in theology. Bigard Memorial Seminary is affiliated with the Pontifical Urban University in Rome.

“Throughout my years of seminary formation, I encountered challenges and devoted myself in ways that tested my commitment to serving God,” Fr. Abue said. “After completing four years of theological studies, I was finally ordained in December 1985. It was truly a calling to dedicate my life to God and to intercede on behalf of the church and its members.”

Long before his 10 years of seminary formation, his father—a traditional ruler of the Mbube clan and a former catechist who aided the Irish missionaries—instilled in him the aspiration to become a priest. Young Peter embraced this calling. “My dad was my greatest motivator on my journey to the priesthood,” he recalled.

Shortly after his ordination in December 1985, Fr. Abue was accepted to Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where he pursued a master’s degree in mass communication. He then continued his education at Cornell University, earning a Ph.D. in international development, among other accolades.

In 2006, he returned to Nigeria, where he seamlessly blended pastoral work with advancing mass communication in the diocese and engaged in community development through a faith-based approach.

Fr. Felix Ekpe, parish priest at Holy Trinity Catholic Church in the Ogoja Diocese of Cross River, first met Fr. Abue during his time at St. Joseph Major Seminary in 2010.

“He has been one exceptional priest who has lived his life for others. He is a selfless priest whom I have always admired. As a seminarian, I often heard stories about his impactful work supporting the children in rural Africa. He is a person driven by a commitment to humanity, always focused on helping young people succeed,” Fr. Ekpe said.

The idea of improving the lives of children and orphans in marginalized communities took root during Fr. Abue’s seminary years. Growing up in a large family, he saw how his parents worked hard to ensure that he and his siblings received an education, even to the graduate level.

“This made me question why other children like me were deprived of the same opportunities. It prompted me to think about the reasons behind the wealth gap, the disparities between nations, individuals, and communities, and why we can’t uplift our communities in the same way as others around the globe. This was the spark that drove me to focus on underrepresented minorities,” Fr. Abue explained.

CORAfrica provides free medical services to children free of charge at the Sr. Augustina Abuo Medical Center at Mbube and serves the community, especially in times of emergency. It has provided elementary education to more than 10,000 pupils with the opening of St. Joseph’s Primary and Secondary School, a learning center in Mbube that caters to numerous children in need. The school also serves as an orphanage for children five years and older.

The crisis in Cameroon between minority Anglophone and French-speaking Cameroonians that began in 2017 forced thousands of Cameroonians into Nigeria through Cross River State, where Fr. Peter lives and works. He founded the John Bosco Academy in Ogoja to help the high influx of refugee children from war-torn Cameroon who could not access basic education.

The following year, he founded the John Stilley School in Victoria Village, Nigeria, to address the educational needs of young people in Emanghabe-Eyube and surrounding villages who have long been deprived of educational opportunities.

Fr. Abue’s dedicated efforts have earned him recognition by the Cross River State government with a special award for his humanitarian work during the state’s jubilee celebration in June 2017.

“As the parish priest of Holy Family Parish in Ikom Town, I find this role to be incredibly rewarding and exciting. I have the privilege of ministering to around 350 families, most of whom are women and young people,” Fr. Abue said.

Explaining his typical day of service, he added, “Our parish routine is quite engaging, starting with daily masses. Each day begins with adoration of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament at 5:00 a.m. Following this, parishioners drop by throughout the day, seeking spiritual guidance or sometimes financial support. We also maintain a schedule for visiting our Small Christian Communities, where we hold masses right at their doorsteps, as well as visit the sick and bring Holy Communion to the elderly and homebound.” ♦

Valentine Benjamin is a Nigeria-based travel journalist and documentary filmmaker with interests in development journalism, social justice, and global health issues across sub-Saharan Africa.

Image: Photo of Fr. Peter Abue courtesy of Valentine Benjamin