BREAKING: Legendary Nigerian Evangelist Rev. Uma Ukpai Dies at 80
Nigeria has lost one of its most revered Christian leaders, Rev. Dr. Uma Ukpai, who passed away on Monday, October 13, 2025, at the age of 80.
The globally respected evangelist, bridge-builder, and humanitarian was celebrated for his decades-long ministry, which impacted millions of lives across continents.
Born on January 7, 1945, in Asaga, Ohafia, Abia State, Ukpai rose from humble beginnings to become a towering figure in Nigeria’s Christian community. He was the Founder and President of the Uma Ukpai Evangelistic Association (UUEA), a non-denominational ministry headquartered in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State.
For more than six decades, he devoted his life to preaching the gospel, healing the sick, and uniting the Christian faith across denominational lines. A co-founder of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN), Ukpai played a key role in shaping the country’s Pentecostal movement.
His 1985 “Greater Lagos for Christ Crusade” is remembered as the rallying point that birthed the PFN — now a major national Christian body uniting churches and evangelists under one umbrella.
Evangelism and Humanitarian Legacy
Rev. Ukpai’s ministry organized major crusades nationwide — including the Greater Ohafia for Christ Crusade, Greater Ibadan for Christ Crusade (1982), and the Anioma One-Million Man Crusade (2016) — all marked by large crowds, reported miracles, and personal testimonies of faith.
His humanitarian work extended far beyond the pulpit. He founded the Uma Ukpai Eye Centre and the King of Kings Specialist Hospital in Abia State, providing free and subsidized healthcare to thousands of Nigerians. His team also ran a 30-year medical outreach across Abia, Akwa Ibom, and Cross River States.
He established educational institutions such as the Uma Ukpai Polytechnic (Asaga), the Uma Ukpai School of Theology and Biblical Studies (Uyo), and the Uma Ukpai Scholarship Foundation, which sponsored many underprivileged students.
Ukpai was educated in both the United Kingdom and the United States, holding degrees in Electrical Engineering, Journalism, and Divinity from institutions including the School of Journalism and Television (Frisham, Hermitage), South Florida Christian College, and Carolina Christian University.
Despite personal tragedy — including the loss of two children in an accident — he remained steadfast in faith, often declaring: “The stone Satan throws at you can become a stepping stone.”
Tributes Pour In
Rev. Ukpai is survived by his wife, Pastor Philomena Uma Ukpai, their children, and an adopted child. Tributes are already pouring in from Christian leaders, government officials, and admirers across Nigeria and beyond. Many described his passing as “a monumental loss to the body of Christ” and “the end of an era of great faith.”
Rev. Uma Ukpai’s legacy endures — in the lives he transformed, the institutions he built, and the gospel he fearlessly preached for over 60 years.
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