A Visit to Aba Nigeria Temple

Aba Nigeria Temple had been on my list of places to visit for the longest time. For a location barely 10 minutes away from my house, there aren’t many reasonable explanations to give as to why I stalled visiting.

The Temple came to my notice sometime in 2020 when I was starting to get in tune with my wanderlust and wondering what places I could visit in my city. Sadly, Aba doesn’t have many tourist sites, but I am happy to have visited nearly all that we have.

Prior to my visit, I had checked reviews on google and even went as far as asking if visitors were welcomed because I didn’t want to up and step into a whole Temple uninvited. I got a response that wasn’t persuading enough which was partly why I stalled until 2022.

I visited Aba Nigeria Temple with my friend in March. It wasn’t a visit that we planned for our own pleasures, anyway, as this was for a challenge we had both participated in.

If you had followed my previous post where I toured some places in Aba, you would know how psyched I was about visiting the Aba Nigeria Temple and how disappointing it felt to be denied access the first time. We weren’t allowed in because of anything elaborate; everyone knows that Latter-day Saints churches are always open to visitors.

About Aba Nigeria Temple

Operated by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Aba Nigeria Temple is one of only three temples of its kind to be built in all of Africa; making it the only one in Nigeria following the Johannesburg South Africa Temple (1985) and Accra Ghana Temple (2004).

The Aba Nigeria Temple was announced in April 2000, erected and dedicated in July 2005 to serve the 200,000+ Latter-day Saints in Nigeria.

The highly visible site of the Aba Nigeria Temple sits on 2.5 hectares (6.3 acres) of land with a towering statue of the angel Moroni on top of the spire of the temple, making it nearly impossible not to be seen by people around the outskirts of Aba, along the Ogbor River. The church had to construct a concrete bridge over the river to provide access to the temple complex, which includes a stake center and an administration office building with guest rooms.

The Architectural Style

Asides from the fact that the temple is the only one in Nigeria, another notable thing about it is its architectural style. This one is beyond magnificent. There isn’t much going on with the building; it’s simple and yet breathtaking.

The Exterior

Cladding

The exterior of the temple is done in two tones of Namibian Pearl granite.

Windows

The windows at the Aba Nigeria temple are tall skinny windows with 3 panes. The windows are arranged in sets of 3, eight sets in all. The glass in the windows is stained lead glass with white trim.

Spires and Moroni

Spire

The single spire is a typical small temple spire, in line with the main entrance, and consisting of 4 levels of progressively smaller and taller cubes.

Moroni

A Copy of Karl Quilter’s 1982 7-foot fiberglass statue was placed upon the temple on 23 February of 2004.

The Interior

The Aba Nigeria Temple has a total floor area of 11,500 square feet (1,070 m2), two ordinance rooms, and two sealing rooms.

Source: 3DTemples

Locating Aba Nigeria Temple

The temple is located at Okpu-Umuobo road off Aba–Owerri Road, by Union Bank, Aba, Abia State.

Like I would always say, Aba is a very straightforward town, therefore, locating the temple will not cause you much hassle.

Aba-Owerri road is the road connecting Osisioma and Aba Main Park. Whichever part you are coming from, you should keep in mind that the Temple lies along this road. These places are all popular, you don’t have to worry too much about getting lost; just make your way to Okpu-Umuobo and there you will find tricycles going to Temple. It costs only N100 from Okpu-Umuobo to the temple at the time of writing this; don’t let them cheat you because they can always tell when someone is not from around here.

Touring the Facilities

The first time we visited the temple, we couldn’t go beyond the security check. It is quite impossible to access the facility without going through the security. And don’t even get me started with the entrance doors; two whole twin man-trap doors, each separated by a tiny lobby with invisible security cameras and a telephone.

You need to know that the temple is just one of many buildings in a huge compound. Seeing the main church building had us asking questions like what goes on in the temple since there was already a normal church building inside the compound. We were told that the temple is exclusively for certain functions and ordinances like baptism and prayers.

This second time around, the security man gave us an overview of the temple and took us to some missionaries who shared the gospel with us. We asked if they could give us a quick tour of the place but they couldn’t do that since it was already time for their prayers. Mind you, they live and do everything there and are restricted from the normal way of life for the period of their apostleship.

They told us to feel free to tour, and that nobody would bother us. Truly, we weren’t disturbed or approached by anyone. Everyone was cool and nice that it started to feel really scary.

As we were touring the temple and taking pictures, we noticed a priest watching us behind glass doors. It got awkward for us at that point but he just stood and watched. I waved at him and he smiled and nodded. A few minutes later, another priest drove into the compound and caught us strolling unsupervised but still didn’t mind. We greeted and he responded cheerily and called us his children.

We didn’t know if this was how things worked there because the temple was so serene and holy for anyone to just tour as they pleased. But we did, anyway, and they were still nice to us.

By the end of our tour, my friend and I had an agreement to visit the church on a Sunday and worship with them; the missionaries invited us too. They also took our phone numbers to keep in touch.

I still look forward to visiting on a Sunday, maybe not anytime soon but definitely.

Now tell me, what did you like most about Aba Nigeria Temple? Would you like to visit sometime?

Aba Nigeria Temple – FAQs

How many temples are in Nigeria?

Latter-day Saints has only the Aba temple in Nigeria, with plans for two more in Benin City and Lagos.

Where is the Nigeria LDS Temple Located?

The Latter-day Saints Nigeria temple is located in Aba, Abia State.

Is Aba Nigeria Temple the most beautiful church in Nigeria?

Aba Temple is among the top 5 most beautiful churches in the country as of 2022.

Can I visit the Aba Nigeria Temple?

Yes, you can visit. The temple has garnered public attention over the years and is used to welcoming visitors from across the world.

Is it safe to visit Latter-day Saints Church?

Mormons are probably one of the nicest and most dedicated Christians you would ever meet. I felt so welcomed when I visited and can assure you that it is totally safe to visit as a person who doesn’t worship there.