Akinola, Peter Jasper

Akinola, Peter Jasper, 1944–, Nigerian Anglican prelate. He was ordained a deacon in 1978 and a priest in 1979. From 1978 on he built the Anglican church in Abuja, Nigeria, from practically nothing into a flourishing institution. Created a bishop (1989) and an archbishop (1997), he has been primate of the Nigerian church since 2000. A conservative and an evangelical, he is best known for his adamant opposition to the ordination of homosexual clergy and to the blessing of gay unions, and has been sharply critical of the American, Canadian, and English Anglican churches, among others, for their positions on these issues. Akinola and other conservative, predominantly Third World bishops have also strongly objected to the ordination of women, and the divisiveness of these issues has threatened to split the Anglican Communion. Within Nigeria, Akinola has supported moves to reduce government corruption and legislation that would outlaw same-sex relationships, the depiction of such relationships, and gay organizations.