By Jeni Huff 

“2.5 million members and our brothers and sisters from other denominations are excited about the possibility of establishing the Lutheran University Nigeria. They are excited because they see the possibility that their children will have access to a university that is affordable, that is within their reach, that is built within a Christian tradition. We are entering now a crucial moment, moving toward assuring the fulfilment of this vision.”

— Archbishop Musa Panti Filibus 

The Lutheran Church of Christ in Nigeria (LCCN) headquarters is located in the Numan Adamawa State, in the North East region of Nigeria. This region of the country currently has no private, church-related universities. In Nigeria, priority for admission to regional universities goes to local students. Therefore, qualified students in northeastern Nigeria have limited access to the several universities in the southern region. There are many gifted and qualified students who are missing opportunities to further their education and their dreams.  

Creating an LCCN-sponsored university in Demsa would have an immediate impact because of its excellent reputation for primary and secondary schools. In addition, a Lutheran university would provide educational opportunities and tangible hope in a region of the country that has suffered from violence and civil unrest for well over a decade. Bishop Ann Svennungsen of the Minneapolis Area Synod emphasizes that “Today only 40% of Nigerian students eligible for college can find placement in a university. That’s why [a] Lutheran university is needed now.” 

The work is underway 

Fortunately, hope is already building! The leadership of the LCCN have developed a plan and a curriculum in order to establish the Lutheran University Nigeria in Demsa, Nigeria. Their vision is to be a world-class conventional university which provides up-to-date knowledge and skills in the disciplines-on-offer using modern technology and undergirded by Christian beliefs. The dream is that the Lutheran University Nigeria (LUN) will “provide quality higher education for more students more equitably. And to raise up a generation of leaders to serve this complicated, interfaith, diverse country that is Nigeria,” highlights Bishop Svennungsen. 

Bishop Ann Svennungsen and Archbishop Musa Filibus stand on the land the LCCN has acquired for the Lutheran University Nigeria. The university will be located quite near the Demsa Hospital.

The team from LCCN has already completed several important pieces of the puzzle. First, they have acquired almost 500 acres of land right next to the LCCN hospital and completed the geophysical survey and environmental impact assessment. Second, a task force of LCCN university professors and administrators have submitted comprehensive plans to the Nigeria National Universities Commission. To accomplish these tasks, $73,000 has already been raised.

How we can help 

The final piece of the puzzle is that the National Universities Commission requires that $500,000 be reserved in an account for the University to ensure fiscal stability. “[The Minneapolis Area Synod is] Nigeria’s only companion synod” explains Bishop Svennungsen. “And yet in the nine years I have been bishop we have not launched a single campaign to support their ministry.” Companion synod relationships of the ELCA connect Lutheran churches throughout the world with ELCA synods and congregations. These relationships are concrete expressions of the communion and fellowship with the more than 140 Lutheran member churches of the Lutheran World Federation (LWF). (Archbishop Musa Filibus of the LCCN is currently president of the LWF.) 

In September, the Minneapolis Area Synod Council approved a fundraising campaign to raise that $500,000 by the end of December 2021. “Sure, raising $500,000 by the end of 2021 is an audacious goal,” Bishop Svennungsen continues, “but I truly believe that the Holy Spirit is calling us to this important work and I hope that you will join me in following this calling.” 

And you can join us, by praying for this campaign, the university, its future students, and the LCCN in its important work. You can also join us financially. There are a few options for you to give the way that works best for you: 

  • You can mail cash or a check to the synod office: 
  • Minneapolis Area Synod
    Attn: LUN Fund
    122 W Franklin Ave, #600
    Minneapolis, MN 55404 
  • You can pay with a credit card (or EFT) by: 
  • Texting “LUN” to 44-321. 
  • Going to givelively or GiveMN on give to the max day 
  • Scanning this QR code 

The 141 congregations of the Minneapolis Area Synod are being asked to consider joining this audacious endeavor. The LCCN has asked every one of its 2,000 congregations to designate the entirety of one Sunday’s offering in November for the establishment of the Lutheran University Nigeria. Could we follow their lead and have every MAS congregation collect a special offering for this life-changing cause? There are resources available for learning more and spreading the word on our website. 

Rev. Mark S. Hanson, the founding director of Interfaith at Augsburg: An Institute to Promote Inter-Religious Leadership, leaves offers this charge: “I have had the privilege of walking alongside of Archbishop Musa and the leadership team. They are ready to launch this university. They’ve got land, they’ve got the environmental impact study, they have a business plan, they have an academic plan. They have a financial plan. The only thing that stands in their way is that the government of Nigeria says that you need to have $500,000 US in the bank so we know you have a strong financial basis. We have capacity to meet that need. We have the capacity to raise $500,000 before the end of 2021, so that this vision becomes a reality and this university gets launched.”