EKITI (meaning hill country-250 metres above sea level) is situated north of Yorubaland, which is in the South-West of Nigeria. It is located between longitudes 40°51’and 50°451’ East of the Greenwich Meridian and latitudes70°151’ and 80°51’ North of the Equator. The territory known as Ekiti is partly plain and partly undulating, but generally littered with mounds and hills. It embraces the most homogenous State in the Federation of Nigeria. It is bounded by Osun State (Osogbo Diocese) in the West, Kwara State (Ilorin Diocese) in the North, Kogi State (Lokoja Diocese) in the North-East, and Ondo State (Ondo Diocese) in the South-East. Its area covers 5887.890 square kilometres with a population of about 2,384,212 inhabitants (2006 Provisional Census) of which 375,514 were Catholics then. However, since the 2006 Provisional Census, the population in Ekiti State has kept growing. In the same way, the Catholic population has not remained static. It has continued to grow steadily. To date, the Catholic population in Ekiti State is 498,849. There are 66 Parishes with numerous Out-Stations and Mass Centres, and 6 Quasi Parishes in the Diocese. Ekiti State embraces Christianity in the main and Islam in minority.

Towards the end of the 19th Century and early 20th Century, many Ekiti young men travelled out to Lagos, Ibadan and Abeokuta and came in contact with the Catholic Faith. In 1913, a group of such young men left Usi-Ekiti to invite Rev. Fr Louis Friess from Ibadan. These pioneering seekers of Christ were Ajidahun, Agbo, Mosofe, Ode and Ogidi. Bishop Terrien of Lagos approved the invitation and Fr Friess, accompanied by these young men, travelled by train to Offa now in Kwara State. They all walked the rest of the journey via Ila-Orangun (Osun State), Otun-Ekiti down to Usi-Ekiti where the mustard seed of the Catholic faith was first planted in Ekitiland on 19 March, 1913, when the first Mass was celebrated by Fr Friess. Fr Friess returned to Lagos via the same route and reported his mission to Bishop Terrien for further action.
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No sooner this mustard seed was planted in Usi than Ekiti was created as an Administrative Division by the British colonial masters with Captain Alexander Livingstone as the first District Officer. The officer was an old friend of Fr Friess and Fr Paulisen who were sent by Bishop Terrien to evangelize Ekiti. Captain Livingstone met Fr Paulisen at Ilesa. They walked down to Ado-Ekiti in November 1914. They went round Ekiti territory visiting Efon-Alaaye, Ilawe and other villages and towns in company of the first Catechist in Ekiti, Mr J.O. Odumosu. Fr Friess handed over to Fr Erkins, Osogbo and Ekiti axes with Osogbo as headquarters. He visited Efon in 1915 where he baptized Matthew Borisade along with others.

In 1916, Fr Wouters arrived Ado-Ekiti as the first resident Priest and stayed in Matthew Akinyede’s father’s house where he celebrated the Sacrifice of the Mass for the first time in Ado. He was joined by Fr George Laugel in January 1917 as his Assistant. Because of its strategic position as an Administrative Headquarters, Ado-Ekiti has become the Headquarters of the Catholic Church in Ekiti ever since.

Between 1913 and 1929, Missionaries from the French Province of the SMA were in charge of Ekiti. Fr Laugel was the most outstanding among these pioneer Missionaries. Assisted by Catechists who were from outside Ekiti, he planted churches and founded schools around Ekiti. In December 1917, Philip Akinyede was appointed Baba Egbe (lay leader) of the faithful in Ado-Ekiti. Between 1929 and 1943, after World War II, with Nigeria allotted to the British as a Colony, French Nationals were not welcomed by the British in Nigeria. Hence, the Irish Province of the SMA replaced the French Province in Nigeria. Pioneering Missionaries from the Irish Province of SMA took over. They established more Churches and Schools. In 1935, 1936 and 1939, Efon-Alaaye, Usi and Ilawe became Parishes respectively. Ekiti was once part of the ancient Bight of Benin covering the areas South of the River Niger and the Delta to Lagos, then administered by Bishop O’Rourke, SMA, in 1929, when he succeeded Bishop Terrien, SMA. Ondo, including Ekiti and Ilorin areas, became a Vicariate in 1943 under Bishop Thomas Hughes, SMA.

In 1948, what is now known as Ondo and Ekiti States (Ondo and Ekiti Dioceses) became a Diocese under the same Bishop Thomas Hughes, SMA. He was succeeded in 1958 by Bishop William Field, SMA. It was with Bishop William Field that Ondo Diocese was divided into two, with Ondo Diocese in the South and Ekiti Diocese in the North in 1972. The Diocese of Ekiti was erected as the Diocese of Ado-Ekiti on 30 July, 1972, and on the request of the pioneer Bishop, the name was changed to the Diocese of Ekiti on 11 December, 1972.

Late Very Rev. Monsignor Anthony Ogunleye Oguntuyi was the first Ekiti Catholic Priest. He was born in 1907, ordained a Catholic Priest on 21 March, 1946, and died on 5 December, 1986.

Bishop Michael Patrick Olatunji Fagun then became the first Bishop of this Diocese. He retired on 17 April, 2010, and Bishop Felix Femi Ajakaye who was ordained Co-adjutor of Ekiti on 12 July, 2008, publicly assumed the office as the Bishop of Ekiti on 1 May, 2010, thus becoming the second Bishop of Ekiti. Ekiti is the cradle of the Catholic Church in Ondo and Ekiti States where the first Eucharistic Celebration took place in Usi-Ekiti in 1913 by Fr Friess, SMA.

The Society of African Missions (SMA) is the founding father of evangelization in this area, accompanied by the Sisters of St Louis since 1948. These Sisters catered for the material and spiritual welfare of the womenfolk. The French Province of the SMA first evangelized this territory. They were later replaced by the Irish Province of the same Society of African Missions. In 1986, due to the dearth of personnel, the Society left the work of evangelization, pastoral management and administration to the indigenous Clergy of Ekiti Diocese. Thus, Ekiti Diocese became the first in the South-West Zone of Nigeria, comprising Lagos, Ibadan, and Benin City Ecclesiastical Provinces (the ancient Bight of Benin), to be fully indigenized.

Ekiti Diocese has a total of 117 Diocesan serving Priests. As the substantive Bishop of Ekiti Diocese, Most Rev. Michael Olatunji Fagun founded a Female Religious Congregation of a Diocesan Right, Sisters of St Michael the Archangel, SSMA, on 6 November, 1986, with its seat in Ekiti Diocese. At the moment, the Diocese has Major Seminarians; 22 full-time Catechists, 10 part-time Catechists and 38 Voluntary Catechists with 42 Candidates in Training; 603Graduates of the School of Evangelization and several voluntary Catechists and Lay Evangelizers. It has a Technical Workshop, named after St Joseph the Worker. The Diocese has a Pastoral Centre, named after the late Pontiff, St John Paul, used for pastoral activities and also open to the public. It is called Pope John Paul II Pastoral Centre, Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State. The Diocese has a virile Justice Development and Peace Initiative (JDPI) committed to the social development of the people and in defence of human rights.

Thus, building on the foundation of the early Missionaries in Ekiti, we reiterate the scripture saying: Paul planted, Apollo watered, and God has graciously given the increase to the work of evangelization in Ekiti Diocese. Ekiti Diocese continues to send out Priest Missionaries to give a helping hand (Fidei Donum) in the work of evangelization to other Dioceses and  Archdioceses in Nigeria, while at the same time it enjoys the services of Religious Priests and Sisters from outside Ekiti Diocese.

The Diocese celebrated in 2013 the Centenary (100 years) of the Catholic Faith in Ekitiland (1913-2013). We also had the Golden Jubilee (50 years) of the Erection of the Diocese in July 2022. With our continued confidence in God and Christ being our strength, Ekiti Diocese is being renewed, both spiritually and physically. To God be all the glory.
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In 1975, 106 Primary Schools established by the Catholic Diocese of Ekiti were lost to the government with 7 Secondary Schools and a Technical School forcibly taken over by the then Military Government of Nigeria. Thus, since then, the Diocese has been founding Nursery/Primary and Secondary Schools, and in collaboration with Religious Congregations serving in the Diocese.

In 2022, there was Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Government of Ekiti State and Catholic Diocese of Ekiti on the Release of three of the seven Secondary Schools founded by the Catholic Diocese of Ekiti. These Schools are: St Louis Grammar School, Ikere-Ekiti, Annunciation School, Ikere-Ekiti and Mary Immaculate Grammar School, Ado-Ekiti.
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Thus, the Mission and Ekiti State Government will co-manage the three Schools for a 5-year Transition Period until the 2026/2027 Academic Session, when the three Schools will return fully to their original owners, Catholic Diocese of Ekiti.

Also, at the beginning of the 2024/2025 Academic Session, the Diocese started to operate her First Day Student College, St Joseph Catholic College, Ado-Ekiti, located within the premises of St Joseph Nursery/Primary School, Ado-Ekiti.