The Augustinian Order has come a long way in Nigeria; its current status as a Province is a testament to this fact. However, although it has attained now this position (a Province), it is important to note that the early Augustinians whose work led to this achievement never (at the beginning) envisaged that such will happen. This is because at the time they set out for Nigeria, their sole goal was to evangelize, i.e., to plant the Catholic-Christian faith in their host communities and environs. Notwithstanding, it amusingly turned out that they did not only succeed in planting the faith, they also the domesticated Order in Nigeria.

Pioneer Augustinian ancestors of the Nigerian Province were dispatched by the Irish Province of the Order, and came into the country in 1938. Historically, at the Chapter of the Irish Province in 1936, friars of the Province decided to “ask the Holy See to assign them a mission territory either in East or West Africa”. In response to the request, the Holy See gave them the task of evangelizing the then Adamawa Province of Nigeria.

In keeping with the task of evangelizing their newly allotted territory, the Irish Province sent many Augustinians who worked in different parts of North-Eastern Nigeria and established many Churches that now make up the dioceses of Maiduguri, Yola and Jalingo. The first group of missionaries appointed to Nigeria were Frs. Denis Redmond, Patrick Dalton and Thomas Broder, OSA and these arrived Nigeria on 2 November, 1938. They were later joined in the same year by Fr. John B. Power, OSA.

After the four pioneer Augustinian missionaries above, more and more missionaries were sent to join the ever-increasing and widening mission field. As the number of Augustinians kept rising, the Irish Province began conceiving the idea of creating a corporate unit for all the Irish Augustinians in Nigeria, this among other reasons was in order to curb the difficulties that came with subjecting those on mission to a “distant [governing body] in Europe”. This marked the beginning of what is now the Province of Nigeria.

Following a lot of deliberations and considerations by the Irish missionaries in Nigeria, and the rest of the members of the Irish Province back at home regarding establishing a corporate unit of the Order in the mission area (Nigeria), a Vice Province of the Augustinian Order was created in Nigeria in 1977. And, after many years of hard work and growth, the Vice Province became a full-fledged Province on 27 November, 2001. Since becoming a Province, numbers of Augustinian Houses and friars in Solemn Vows have risen persistently; at present, the Province is blessed with 28 Houses within the borders of Nigeria alone.

Concerning leadership, Rev. Patrick Akinrimisi, OSA was the first Prior Provincial of the Province of Nigeria. Since the expiration of his period of leadership (in 2005), Rev. Frs. John Niyiring (2005- 2008) (Now Bishop of Kano Diocese), Hyacinth Kangyep (2008-2012) and John Abubakar (2012- 2020), OSA have served the Province as Priors Provincial. Currently, the Province is led by Rev. Fr. Kanu Ikechukwu Anthony, OSA.