Augustine Echema

Augustine Ndubueze Echema is a Nigerian Catholic prelate who has served as the bishop of the Diocese of Aba since 2019. He is a Professor of Liturgy at the Catholic Institute of West Africa in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria.

Biography

Echema attended St. Peter Claver Seminary, Okpala from 1972 to 1977. He studied philosophy from 1978 to 1982 and theology from 1982 to 1986 at Bigard Memorial Seminary.
Echema was ordained to the Catholic priesthood on 16 August 1986 for the Diocese of Owerri. He worked at St. Peter Claver Minor Seminary, Okpala as a formator from 1986 to 1988 and became a parish priest of St. Mark Parish in Umuneke Ngor from 1988 to 1989 when he left Nigeria for Germany to study at Philosophisch-Theologische Hochschule Sankt Georgen in Frankfurt. He obtained his doctorate degree in theology. Echema served as the parish priest of St. Joseph parish in Schwalbach from 1996 to 1998. Following his return to Nigeria, he became the deputy chaplain of CIWA and was appointed a professor of liturgy there.
On 28 December 2019, Pope Francis appointed Echema as the bishop of the Diocese of Aba. He was consecrated on 13 February 2020 by Archbishop Antonio Guido Filipazzi at the Christ the King Cathedral, Aba.