120,000-seat cathedral opens in Nigeria
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on La Nouvelle Tribune
Illustrative image · David Iloba · Pexels · Licence PexelsSalvation Ministries inaugurated the Hand of God Cathedral on 6 November 2026 in Igwuruta, near Port Harcourt, a building announced as having 120,000 seats. The 56,000-square-metre building becomes the global headquarters of the church founded by Pastor David Ibiyeomie, according to La Nouvelle Tribune and Legit.ng.
The Hand of God Cathedral covers about 56,000 square metres, with eight floors and five wings. Its architecture reproduces an open hand, a shape that Salvation Ministries associates with divine protection and grace, according to Legit.ng.
Salvation Ministries says its new building exceeds The Ark, the auditorium of the Living Faith Church led by Pastor David Oyedepo, which accommodates about 109,000 people. No independent ranking confirms this comparison, however, according to Legit.ng.
The site had already hosted Sunday services in January 2022, several years before the official dedication on 6 November 2026, according to Nigerian media cited by Legit.ng. Salvation Ministries, founded in 1997 in Port Harcourt by Pastor David Ibiyeomie, now makes the cathedral its global headquarters and holds its Sunday services there.
The inauguration ceremony was held at the Salvation Ministries headquarters, on the airport road in Igwuruta, near Port Harcourt. Bishop David Oyedepo had arrived the previous day by private jet to attend the event, according to Legit.ng.
