Former Archbishop in the Lutheran Church of Christ in Nigeria, LCCN
Dr. Nemuel Abubakar Babba has passed away

Former Archbishop Dr. Nemuel A. Babba passed away in Rituvik, Faroe Islands on 24 November 2025, aged 72, following progressive illness. He had resided in the Faroe Islands with his wife, Kaja, throughout the illness period, interrupted by various treatment stays in Denmark.

Nemuel Babba was born in Bengo, Nigeria on 31 December 1952 in Nordbatta near the border with Cameroon. He grew up as a Muslim in his aunt’s house, but became a Christian when he was to begin school. When LCCN had established Dashen Bible College in 1974, Nemuel became one of the first students there and completed his degree in 1977. This became the springboard for him to begin theological studies at Theological College in Northern Nigeria in Bukuru outside Jos. Here Nemuel Babba finished his theological degree in 1981.

After graduation, LCCN placed Nemuel Babba in the church’s stewardship work, which was at the time overseen by missionary Anna Kristiansen. One might say it was a good starting point, considering his further career in the church. Stewardship work involves how income should be contributed and managed in the church’s extensive work.

Nemuel was ordained as a pastor in 1985, and he served in various church duties, including as head of Tantille Bible School, head of Pella Bible School, until he came to the church’s own seminary, Brønnum Lutheran Seminary on Mbamba.

At the church’s bishop election in 1995, Nemuel Babba was elected bishop for the Todi diocese and was re-elected in 2000. But already in 2001 he was elected archbishop to succeed David Windibiziri. Nemuel held this post for three terms until 2016, when he retired. He thus occupied the highest office in the church for many years. During his time as archbishop he was for several years also president of TEKAN, an association of several Protestant churches in Nigeria. During his tenure Nemuel Babba attended various courses in the USA and Denmark. 

This last fact was inevitably connected with the fact that in 1982 he had married Kaja Lamhauge, who came from the Faroe Islands, but at that time was sent out by Mission Afrika as a missionary in Nigeria. They had three sons, David, Pauli and Simon.

One always met Nemuel Babba as a smiling, happy and positive person, who could see possibilities even when the conditions in Nigeria and in the church were not always the easiest to navigate in order to find good solutions. He stood by his employees and gave them free rein. As archbishop, Nemuel Babba naturally had close cooperation with Mission Afrika, where many negotiations took place about the church’s future—both regarding recruitment of missionaries and financial support for various purposes within the church. In that connection the church and the mission could of course hold different views in various situations, where Nemuel Babba always did his part to ensure that the church’s continued independence was promoted as much as possible in relation to outside support.

There is reason to give thanks to God for Nemuel Babba’s many years of cooperation with Mission Afrika.
Honoured be the memory of Nemuel Abubakar Babba!

Vagn Ove Høgild

Greetings to Kaja in connection with her husband’s death can be sent directly to