The Nigerian Province of the OLA Sisters was established in 1990. There are currently nineteen communites with over 100 Sisters in Nigeria.

The OLA story in Nigeria began even before their foundation in 1876.Find out more! The first school was opened in 1873 and OLA's have become renowned for their commitment to quality education, especially for girls. Similarly in the area of Health Care, the OLA's have been involved in establishing Dispensaries, Maternity Clinics, Hospitals, Training Schools since the first Dispensary was opened in Abeokuta in 1886.

Today OLAs are found in both urban and rural areas in Nigeria. Their commitment to quality education particularly for the female child is still very much in evidence. They continue to be involved in both Primary, Secondary and Tertiary education.

In the area of health care, OLA's continue to administer Primary Health Care Centres and Hospitals.Addressing the challenges of HIV and AIDS is a growing aspect of OLA Health care. Together with these traditional areas of work, Sisters are involved in pastoral ministry in areas such as teaching of catechism, home and hospital visitation, youth development, Justice, Development and Peace initiatives, prison visitation, care of street children.

There are many direct links between Ireland and our OLA Sisters in Nigeria. Currently there are three Irish OLAs working there. Sr Kathleen Keohane, a nurse, works in the OLA COmprehensive Health Care Centre, Kwimo. Sr Eithna McDevitt (pictured on the right) works in the OLA Formation House in Ibadan and Sr Kathleen McGarvey lectures in the Good SHepherd Major Seminary in Kaduna. Kathleen is also involved in the area of Muslim/Christian dialogue.

In Papiri, in the North of the country, the OLA's are in charge of a school which has been largely funded from a group in Newry called the Newry Africa Project