Four years, eight months after his enthronement as the eighth Anglican Bishop of Lagos Diocese, at the Cathedral Church of Christ, Marina, Lagos, the Most Reverend Humphrey Olumakaiye, also the Archbishop of Lagos Province, Anglican Communion, is dead.
The Idanre, Ondo State-born Archbishop passed in the early hours of Monday after a long-drawn battle with a yet-to-be disclosed ailment. He was 53 years old.
The sad news of Archbishop Olumakaiye’s death was announced in a statement co-signed in Lagos by the Synod Secretary, Ven Segun Ladeinde; and the Chancellor, Justice Adedayo Oyebanji.
“With heavy hearts,” the statement begins, “but in the sure hope of the Resurrection, the Diocesan Board of the Diocese of Lagos, announces the sudden Transition of the Bishop of the DIOCESE OF LAGOS and Archbishop of the ECCLESIASTICAL PROVINCE OF LAGOS, His Grace, The Most Revd Humphrey Bamisebi Olumakaiye, Ph.D, FICT who was called up to higher service in the evening of Sunday, 30th October, 2022 at the age of 53 Years.
“The Most Revd Humphrey Bamisebi Olumakaiye, Ph.D. FICT was enthroned as the Bishop of Lagos on 30th July, 2018 and shortly after in November 2021 presented as the Archbishop of the Ecclesiastical Province of Lagos.
“His Episcopal sojourn in the Diocese of Lagos and subsequently the Province was characterized by phenomenal, physical and spiritual developments, for which all of us shall remain very proud.
“We shall keep you posted, as detailed arrangements of the Funeral obsequies unfold and are made public.”
Born on January 28, 1969, Olumakaiye was elected for translation into the Diocese of Lagos on February 6, 2018, and enthroned as the eighth Bishop of Lagos on Monday, July 30, 2018, at the Cathedral Church of Christ, Marina, Lagos.
On September 25, 2021, he also became the Archbishop of the Province of Lagos and was officially enthroned on November 7, 2021, at the Cathedral Church of the Advent, Gwarimpa.
Predictably, the cleric’s death had thrown the Anglican Church, nay the church in Nigeria, into a deep mourning as people across all demographics lamented the demise of a man who had been greatly used by God to touch lives, contribute to the development and spiritual upliftment of the church, spreading the message of love and salvation wherever he went.
Here are 12 things to know about late Olumakaiye:
- Until his death, he was the Bishop of Lagos, and Archbishop of the Ecclesiastical Province of Lagos (Anglican Communion), Church of Nigeria having been Bishop of Osun North-East until 2018.
- He was presented as the Archbishop of Lagos Ecclesiastical Province on November 7, 2021 at the Cathedral Church of Advent, Life Camp, Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory.
- Olumakaiye was born on January 28, 1969 at Okene into the family of the Venerable and Mrs. T.A. Olumakaiye.
- The late Archbishop was a native of Idanre, a town in Ondo State.
- He started his Education at St. Michael’s primary school, Esie in 1975 and proceeded to Government Secondary School, Omu-Aran, Kwara State in 1982.
- In 1983, he left Omu-Aran to conclude his Secondary education at Cherubim Seraphim Secondary School, Ilorin in 1986.
- He bagged his first degree in Religious Studies from the University of Ibadan between 1991 and 1993, and a Master’s Degree in Religious Studies in 2001. He went further to obtain a doctorate degree in Church History and Doctrine from the same university.
- He became a deacon in June 1993 and was ordained a priest in December same year by E.A. Ademowo, Bishop of Ilesha Diocese. This was after Olumakaiye’s training and graduation from Immanuel College of Theology.
- He started his ministry at Christ the Saviour Anglican Church, Cappa, Ilesa, Osun State, in June 1993.
- At the age of 40, Olumakaiye was elected Bishop on May 22, 2009; he was consecrated Bishop on Sunday, July 12, 2009 in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, while he was enthroned on Thursday, July 16, 2009 at Cathedral Church of St. Philip’s, Otan Ayegbaju as the first Bishop of Anglican Diocese of Osun North-East.
- Until his death, Olumakaiye was married to Professor Motunrayo Funke Olumakaiye, a former Head of the Department of Nutrition and Consumer Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile -Ife, in Osun State.
12.They had a son, Richard Tunbamise.