Margaret Benson-Idahosa

Margaret E. Benson-Idahosa became the first female Chancellor in Africa in 2002 when she became the Chancellor of Benson Idahosa University, a University that seeks to graduate men and women of integrity who will exhibit excellence with Godliness in every field of life.

She also presides over the Church of God Mission International- a church that boasts of over 4000 branches across Nigeria, and numerous branches in Africa, Europe, North America and Asia; and also pastors the Faith Arena (The Church International Headquarters) branch, a 20,000 capacity auditorium. Bishop Margaret Benson -Idahosa was born on the 29th of July, 1943, into the royal lineage of the Benin Kingdom. She was ordained into the ministry on the 24th of May, 1983 and consecrated Bishop on the 5th of April, 1998. This position makes her first female Pentecostal Bishop of a ministry of this magnitude in Africa.

As a trained educationist, she established the Word of Faith Schools which currently has more than 108 schools (Kindergarten, Primary and Secondary) all over Nigeria. She also established the International Leadership Resource Institute (ILRI) to teach leadership ethics and principles to pastors and other categories of leaders and church workers. Her love for the less privilege and abandoned babies saw her establish an Orphanage where babies are cared for, called “My sister’s place”.