This department has five units. A secretary heads each
unit which may comprise one or a combination of the following committees:
(1) The Pastoral, Liturgical and Theological Committee
(2) The Religious Education, Catechetics and Biblical Apostolate Committee
(3) The Pilgrimage, Synod and Congresses Committee
(4) The Canon Law Committee, and
(5) The Inculturation and Translation Committee

The Task of the Department includes:

i. Production and printing of an annual liturgical calendar and other important liturgical materials.
ii. Maintaining steady correspondence with:
(a) Sacred Congregation of Divine Worship,
(b) Pontifical Commission for Pastoral Tourism,
(c)The International Commission on English in Liturgy

iii. Coordinating the work of diocesan spiritual directors
iv. Ordering of Mass Wine for the Nigerian Church
v. Organizing international and national Eucharistic Congresses and other pastoral congresses
Vi. Organizing national pilgrimages, and cooperating with the organizers of provincial pilgrimages
vii. Coordinating Jubilee Celebrations on the national level

This department was set up by the CBCN to coordinate the life and activities of the clergy, seminaries, religious, and laity, each of which is administered through the appropriate committee. The Director, through the committees, ensures that the CBCN as a body is intensely involved in the life and growth of the groups thus administered and that they, in turn, get a good opportunity to relate with the Conference. The committees see to it that the various segments of the Church attached to them interact effectively on national and international levels.

Under the supervision of the Director and in collaboration with the committee chairmen, the Secretary of the Committees for the Clergy and Seminaries works hand in hand with various clergy groups within the dioceses and, on the national level, with the National Association of Catholic Diocesan Priests (NACDP). Also, he is in touch with the heads of all major seminaries and formation houses and has knowledge of their staff and curriculum. He is in touch with the Spiritual Year Houses and the minor seminaries.

The Laity Committee and the Religious Committee of the department
work with the following groups:

LAITY COMMITTEE
Laity Council
Knights of St. Mulumba
Knights of St. John
CWO
CYON
Catholic Corpers
NFCS
Catholic Charismatic Renewal
St Vincent de Paul, and all other
Lay organizations in Nigeria.

RELIGIOUS COMMITTEE
NCCP
Conference of Men and Women Religious
Major Superiors
Vicar for Religious
Religious Committee on Women Trafficking
Committee on Inculturation

In coordinating the activities of the entire department, the Director keeps contact with the universal Church through the Pontifical Commissions for the Clergy, the Seminaries, the Laity and the Religious.

The Church and Society Department is the arm of CBCN which coordinates the work of the Catholic Church in Nigeria as it relates to society in general, and specifically as it promotes social development, human dignity, democracy, justice, equity, reconciliation, and peace. Within the department are five units, namely, Justice, Development and Peace (JDP), Health, Family and Human Life, Education, and Caritas Desk.

(a) The JDP unit coordinates and facilitates at the national level the Church's involvement in a democratic and peaceful society. It also coordinates the Church's efforts in agricultural and rural development. It organizes seminars and workshops for the training of Church functionaries at various levels in social analysis, political awareness, civic education, prisoners' welfares, conflict resolution, and the building of a strong and virile civil society. In this task, the unit is frequently in touch with partner agencies within and outside Nigeria.

(b) The Health unit coordinates and facilitates the activities of the various parishes, dioceses and religious congregations that manage hospitals, mobile clinics, AIDS prevention and care, etc. It draws up the health policy for the Catholic Church in the country and the national health insurance scheme for Catholics in Nigeria.

(c) The Family and Human Life unit coordinates and facilitates the work of all the individuals and groups in the Catholic Church, involved in the protection, defence, and promotion of human life from conception to natural death and in the promotion of family values.

(d) The Education unit coordinates and facilitates the works of various dioceses and congregations in formal and informal education, including the management and administration of mission-owned schools and vocational centres. It also undertakes advocacy roles on behalf of the Church in dealing with the government, and with such agencies as the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) and the Nigerian Universities Commission (NUC).

(e) The CARITAS Council of Nigeria coordinates the Church's efforts in relief services in moments of crises and emergencies. The unit sources funds and organizes the distribution of relief materials to refugees, displaced persons and victims of other crises.

The Department of Mission and Dialogue coordinates and facilitates the activities of CBCN in the areas of missions and missionary animation, ecumenism, and dialogue within the wider Christian family, and dialogue with other religious groups. This arm of the Conference is charged with the task of monitoring the training and sending of priests, the religious, and lay missionaries to needy parts of the country and of the world. The national Director of the Pontifical Mission Societies, which is an independent directorate of the Conference, also heads this unit in the Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria.

The department is in touch with world bodies that deal with mission and dialogue, especially the relevant Vatican dicasteries. It has a number of committees:

(a) Mission Committee focuses on the animation of priests, the religious, and laity, and on creating awareness for the full participation of the people of God in the universal mission of the Church. It operates with the National Missionary Council which draws its membership from the clergy, religious and laity. It coordinates the missionary activities of dioceses and religious congregations, especially in the area of mission ad gentes, sending out missionaries to other dioceses and countries. It promotes the Pontifical Mission Societies (PMS).
This unit also liaises with all agencies within and outside the country that are committed to the Church's missionary mandate.

(ii) Committee on Ecumenism promotes Christian unity in human, social, political and strictly religious areas. It aims at bringing the various Christian denominations in the country together to study and understand each other better, and to work together in identifying areas of agreement and in deepening them, while seeking solutions in areas of disagreement.

(ii) Committee on Dialogue seeks to interact with other believers, especially those of African Traditional Religion and the Islamic religion. In its work, attempts are made to build bridges and to recognize and act as people who believe in the supremacy of God, to cooperate in the promotion of the good of all in Nigeria, and to cultivate the culture of respect for other people's religion.

The committee helps dioceses and parishes and religious congregations in their own efforts at ecumenism and dialogue on the local level.

The Directorate of Communications of the CBCN is the voice of the Conference. It publishes the newsletter of the Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria, the "CSN News", which feeds diocesan newspapers and other media organizations, both local and foreign, with information on the Church. It also projects to the public the image of the Catholic Church and Catholics through every legitimate medium.

The directorate documents and reacts to matters in the public media concerning the Church and Catholics and takes responsibility for all publications that come out in the name of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Nigeria and of the Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria. It coordinates all communication activities of the dioceses and parishes of Nigeria, supports and facilitates their works where necessary. It coordinates the operations of the Diocesan directors of Social Communications. It ensures the proper functioning and spiritual update of all associations of Catholic media practitioners in all areas, whether the press, electronic and audiovisual medium, or the artistic world. It equally organizes workshops/seminars and seeks out opportunities for funding, training and developing the media practice of the Catholic Church in Nigeria and of the secular media, especially those who are engaged in the day-to-day running of diocesan communication activities. It maintains all the contacts of the Conference with foreign media. It provides Catholic programmes for the radio and television in the country.

The directorate also provides colour/black & white photographic services, creative video coverage, and a contemporary audio recording/editing/studio
Facility.

This new outfit, managed by Director, was set up by the CBCN to provide services in the areas of immigration matters, passages, expatriate quota and residence permits, goods clearance, protocol, etc.

The main office of the NCSC is located at CSN building in Lagos
6 Force Road, P. O. Box 951, Lagos;
Ph: 01-2635849; 2630347;2636670;
Fax: 01-2636680; Telex: 22592 CATSEC NIG;
Email: cathsect@infoweb.abs.net;
Cablegram: Catholic Sec., Lagos;
Website: www.csnigeria.org