A renowned Nigerian evangelist and founder of the Uma Ukpai Evangelistic Association (UUEA), Rev. Dr. Uma Ukpai, has died at the age of 80.
The announcement was made on his official Instagram page, @Uma_Ukpai, on Monday, confirming that the preacher died on October 6, 2025.
A global evangelist, teacher, and humanitarian, Ukpai rose from humble beginnings in Ohafia, Abia State, to become a spiritual voice of unity, healing, and hope.
For over six decades, his ministry combined faith with compassion, touching lives through crusades, education, and healthcare.
Here are nine things to know about him:
Rev. Uma Ukpai was one of the founders of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN), helping unite diverse churches under one Christian voice after his historic Greater Lagos for Christ Crusade in 1985.
Orphaned at just 10 years old, Ukpai’s difficult childhood shaped his compassion for the needy and became the seed for his lifelong humanitarian and evangelistic mission that reached beyond Africa to several continents.
He wasn’t just a preacher. Ukpai held qualifications in Electrical Engineering, Journalism, and Divinity, blending intellect with spirituality in a rare way that made his ministry deeply practical and modern.
Through UUEA, headquartered in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, he built one of Nigeria’s most vibrant non-denominational ministries hosting crusades, healing outreaches, and empowerment programmes for decades.
Rev. Ukpai established two hospitals, the Uma Ukpai Eye Centre and the King of Kings Hospital, both providing free and subsidised healthcare for the poor. His medical missions transformed countless rural communities.
Ukpai founded the Uma Ukpai Polytechnic and School of Theology, offering scholarships to hundreds through his Scholarship Foundation and mentoring future leaders in faith and skill.
Many of Nigeria’s leading preachers and evangelists trace their early inspiration and spiritual mentorship to him: a legacy of influence that spans generations.
He was a bridge-builder among denominations and ethnic lines, preaching messages of peace, national harmony, and hope, especially during Nigeria’s most turbulent times.
From his conversion at age 13 in 1958 to his passing at 80, Rev. Uma Ukpai never stopped preaching — over 60 years of steadfast ministry that blended faith, healing, compassion, and nation-building.
