InCLA is a unique Institute of Consecrated Life in Africa owned by the Claretian Missionaries. It is an institute that offers specialisation in Consecrated life.

Our History

The General Government of the Claretian Missionaries has been involved in the theology of consecrated life since 1920 with the floating of the Journal “Commentarium pro religiosis et Missionariis” and other consultancy work with religious institutes especially in juridical matters. A major mile-stone was reached in 1935 with the establishment of Claretianum in Rome, which got its full ecclesiastical rights on the 6th of June 1971. This gave impetus, the same year, to the establishment of Instituto de Vida Religiosa in Madrid. The creation of other Institutes in Asia followed suit: Quezon City in Philippines 1996 and Sanyasa, Bangalore in India, 1998. The Congregation has also started the process of setting up an Institute in America ITVCA in Bogota, Colombia, 2018. Presently, the Congregation has two functional institutes each in Europe and Asia but none in Africa.

The whole idea of beginning a theological Institute of Consecrated Life in Africa, brewed for a long time before some participants (especially Nigerians) in the Claretian General Chapter of 2003 brought it openly to the chapter members. This need was later discussed at ACLA gathering the following year and it was unanimously decided that this institute be located in Nigeria where there is great possibility of success because of resource persons and number of religious men and women in the country and nearby countries. The provincial Government in Nigeria by then under the Leadership of Fr. Wence Madu, Cmf followed this up and constituted a committee in which Fr. Charles Amadi, Cmf was made the chairman. The steering committee that later led to the preparation of the Curriculum and the programs was headed by Fr Peter Okonkwo. Abuja was originally taken as a proper and central place to locate the institute as a good number of consecrated men and women are living there. By the first months of the year 2021, the Administrative building of the Institute was already 95 percent complete while the female hostel was at 75 percent completion stage. The inauguration of the Institute and the inaugural Theological Conference was thus slated for the later months of the year 2021, when the Institute’s inaugural semester and session began.

The whole idea is to begin a theological Institute of Consecrated Life in Africa and to give an African dimension to theological studies centered on the Consecrated Life. InCLA is preceded by a number of conferences locally organized by Claretians to create awareness of this initiative: the first Conference was held at Abuja in November 2017, the second at Enugu in November 2018, while the third Conference was held at Lagos in November 2019. The Institute is affiliated to the Lateran Pontifical University Rome.

Our Vision

This institution was conceived for a re-sensitisation in the study of Consecrated life, a call to rethink our faith, beliefs, and philosophy of life. Our vision is to carry out a rigorous and scientific study of consecrated life accompanying its process of renewal and adaptation from the permanent reference to the ecclesiology of communion and mission, to the inter-confessional, inter-religious and intercultural dialogue and to the option for the poor and excluded. Its main thrust is to consciously deal, through elaborate studies, with the dangers of increasing clericalization, secularisation, polarisation on the basis of caste, faith, culture, language and rite. The broader vision of InCLA is to give a holistic human formation, sound moral empowerment for people from all walks of life who are seeking knowledge with an aim of being outstanding in their areas of endeavor. The Institute offers Certificate Studies, OND, Bachelor’s Degrees, Masters, Licentiate and Doctorate Degrees with certificates from affiliated institutes and universities in Europe and Nigeria.