St. Thomas Aquinas’ Major Seminary is a higher institution for the formation of candidates for the Roman Catholic Priesthood. It is owned by the Bishops of the Abuja Ecclesiastical Province of the Catholic Church in Nigeria comprising of the Archdiocese of Abuja, the Dioceses of Makurdi, Lokoja, Idah, Otukpo, Lafia, Gboko and Katsina-Ala. The origins of the institution go back to 1985, when the Catholic Bishops of Kaduna Ecclesiastical Province decided and agreed to establish a Second Campus to decongest the Provincial Major Seminary of St. Augustine’s Major Seminary, Jos. Most Rev. Donal Murray, CSSP Bishop, Catholic Diocese of Makurdi gave approval for the use of the land of the Minor Seminary of the Diocese: St. James’ Minor Seminary, Makurdi. The chairman of the committee set up for the Seminary was Most Rev. Patrick F. Sheehan, OSA, and emeritus Bishop of Yola Diocese. Rev. Fr. John U. Gangwari was appointed as the Director of Makurdi Campus from 1986 – 1987.

The Seminary is located in the Middle Belt Region of Nigeria. It is situated in the centre of the country where there were no religious crises. Recently, the peaceful atmosphere that existed in Makurdi and its environment has been largely affected by the herders’ and farmers’ crises. The invasion of Fulani herdsmen in the farmlands has led to lots of killing and looting of property creating lots of Internally Dispersed Persons in (IDP) Camps. We have had to budget extra in the Seminary for government armed security guards to protect our Seminary. The rationale behind the location is to have a Seminary which serves as a bridge between the north of Nigeria with an overwhelming Muslim population and the south which is predominantly Christian. This affords a favourable atmosphere for students from any part of the country to study and interact peacefully without any fear of religious molestation. Thus, we have students from all parts of the country, including few students from Muslim families. Also, a few students from Ghana and Sierra Leone have undergone formation in this Seminary.

The Seminary Campus began operation on 31st October, 1986 as a Spiritual or Preparatory Year with 4 members of staff and 80 students. The Seminary was officially inaugurated as a Philosophy Campus on 25th November 1986. In January 1989, Makurdi Campus became an autonomous institution under the name: ST. THOMAS AQUINAS’ MAJOR SEMINARY (STAMS), MAKURDI, and Rev. Fr. John Gangwari was appointed as the first Rector of the Seminary. The Seminary functioned as a Philosophicum. In 1992 the Seminary sought for affiliation to the Pontifical Urbanian University, Rome for the Baccalaureate in Philosophy. Rev. Fr. Richard Tule was appointed Rector from 1992 to 2000. He was succeeded in October 2000 by Rev. Fr. Matthew Audu, who was appointed Bishop shortly after that. Fr. Francis Wegh was appointed as Acting Rector, from 2001 to 2002. In 2002 the Holy See granted approval for a full Seminary with a Seven Year Integrated Programme of Philosophical and Theological Studies. Msgr. Kenneth Enang was appointed Rector from 2002 to 2009. 

In 2009, Rev Fr. Cyril Obanure was appointed Rector and started the process of preparing for the celebration of the Silver Jubilee of this great institution realising that the Seminary which began 31st October 1986 will be twenty-five years on 31st October 2011. The kickoff of the Silver Jubilee celebrations began with the Visit of His Excellency, Most Rev. Augustine Kassuja, Papal Nuncio to Nigeria and the Blessing of the Statue of St. Thomas Aquinas, Patron of the Seminary. In 2012, Fr. Godwin Atede was appointed Acting Rector and confirmed later in the same year. He served as Rector until 2020. In September 2020, Fr. Simeon Iber was appointed as Acting Vice-Rector and later as Acting Rector. He was confirmed as Rector in July 2021. Presently, the Seminary has a student population of 359 from 16 Dioceses and 2 Religious Communities. There are twenty-one (21) resident formators/lecturers, twenty-six (26) part-time lecturers and fifty (50) non-academic staff.

At the end of their studies, students graduate with a Baccalaureate in Philosophy and a Baccalaureate in Theology both from the Pontifical Urbanian University, Rome. During their Seminary Formation, every attempt is made to sustain the vision that inspires the Seminary: the admission, formation and education of highly committed and articulate Ministers of the Word, authentic witnesses and dynamic communicators of the Lord’s own Vision of Life. This means that all courses are Christological in their roots, Biblical in their spirit, Ecclesial in their mind-set, Pastoral in practice and, as an integral component, both African and Global as the outreach of today’s ordained Minister in the Roman Catholic Church.