Joseph Adetiloye, Primate of the Church of Nigeria

Joseph Abiodun Adetiloye (Odo-Owa, Ekiki State, December 25, 1929 - Odo-Owa, Ekiki State, December 14, 2012) was the former Primate of the Church of Nigeria. He was married briefly for 11 months, until his wife's death in 1968. They had a son.

Joseph lost his father, who was a devout Christian, when Joseph was 3 years old. Joseph and his siblings were raised by his mother. He entered school in 1937 and it was reported that "he was always neat in school each day despite the fact that he had only one uniform". Joseph decided to become an Anglican priest at a very young age.

Joseph passed with distinction his first school leaving examination in 1944 and was a teacher for 6 years. He was the acting church agent at St. Paul's Church in Ara-Yero, now called Araromi at his 6th year.

Joseph decided to attend Melville Hall, in Kudeti, Ibadan, in 1949, to become a priest. He was further educated in England at King's College London (BD), and Wycliffe Hall, Oxford. He was ordained a deacon at the end of 1953 at the Cathedral Church of Lagos, by the first Archbishop of West Africa, Leslie Vining. In 1954, he became a curate at St. Peter's Church, in Ake, Abeokuta, and later was a chaplain to Archbishop Vining and afterwards to Archbishop Howells. This enabled him to move to Wycliffe Hall, to continue his studies. He was involved in some parish ministries at St. George in Leeds and was a curate at St. Mary's Church in Plaistow. Returning to Nigeria, the Reverend Adetiloye became a teacher at the Immanuel College of Theology in Ibadan, for four years and three months. On August 10, 1966, he became vicar and provost at the Cathedral Church of St. James, in Ibadan. In August 1970, he was elected and nominated bishop of the Diocese of Ekiti, later being transferred to the Diocese of Lagos, of which he was bishop from 1985 to 1999.

Adetiloye was enthroned as the second Primate of the Church of Nigeria on December 26, 1986, at the Cathedral Church of Lagos, by his predecessor, Archbishop Timothy O. Olufosoye. He retired on December 1999, after 13 years in office. During his tenure, the Church of Nigeria became a fast growing church, expanding from 27 dioceses in 1986 to 76 in 1999. In 1997, the growth of the Church of Nigeria led to a division into three ecclesiastical provinces. Archbishop Adetiloye headed the Province One, consisting of the dioceses in the West, while remaining Primate of All Nigeria.

Joseph Adetiloye died in his home city of Odo-Owa, on December 14, 2012. His passing was mourned as a great national loss.