Biography
Uma Ukpai came from Asaga, Ohafia, in what is now Abia State, Nigeria. He became an evangelist whose ministry extended beyond the boundaries of a single denomination. The Uma Ukpai Evangelistic Association became the principal organisation associated with his work.[2]
Public evangelistic meetings were central to his ministry. Nigeria's presidential tribute recalled the Greater Ibadan for Christ campaign of 1982 and Greater Lagos for Christ in 1985. These events place him within the growth of Nigerian Pentecostal and evangelical Christianity during that period.[2]
His preaching was associated with faith, healing, and Christian hope. His institutional work also included charitable, educational, and medical activities. Such work forms part of the public record of his service, while particular miracle stories require their own evidence and attribution.[1] [2]
The Christian Association of Nigeria records that Ukpai died on 6 October 2025 at eighty. Its memorial recognised more than six decades of evangelistic work and offered condolences to his wife, Philomena, his family, and his ministry.[1]
Ukpai's story is therefore a completed life account, rather than a description of a minister still living. His legacy includes evangelistic ministry and cooperation across Nigerian Christian communities.[1] [2]