In 1968, St. Paul’s Church Council Nguru selected him for a Catechist course at the Diocesan Training Centre (DTC) Wusasa, Zaria, (now St. Francis of Assisi Theological College). He successfully completed his training and was posted back to Nguru as a Catechist in 1972.  During this time he was also actively involved in the activities of the post civil war rehabilitation programme of the federal government known as Reconstruction, Reconciliation and Development (RRD).  He led the team at Nguru. He obtained G. C. E. O’Level and A’Level Certificates through correspondence courses. He was posted to Birnin Kebbi in 1973. He got admission to the Theological College of Northern Nigeria (TCNN), Jos, in 1973 and obtained both the Diploma and Higher Diploma in Theology (with distinction) in 1978. He was posted to Abuja operating from Suleja as a missioner.  This is the first missionary journey to Abuja.

He was made a deacon in 1978 and ordained priest in 1979, He got admission to the Virginia Theological Seminary in the USA, and obtained a masters degree in Theological Studies (M. T. S) in 1981. He returned to Nigeria and was posted back to Abuja (This is the second missionary journey). He was preferred Canon in 1983 by the Rt. Revd. T. E. Ogbonyomi, the then Bishop of Kaduna.

In the course of his second missionary journey to Abuja, he became consecrated diocesan Bishop of Abuja Dioceses on November 26, 1989. He can be aptly described as the “founder” of Abuja Diocese and he has built it into a prosperous self-reliant Diocese with investments in the hospitality industry and in the Nigerian money market. In the education field within the Diocese, he has established twelve Nursery/Primary schools and two secondary schools. He was honoured with the degree of Doctor of Divinity by the Virginia Theological Seminary, Alexandria, Virginia, USA.

He was elected and presented Archbishop of the defunct Province III in 1998 and became a member of Inter-Anglican Finance Committee. He was elected Primate and Metropolitan of the Church of Nigeria Anglican Communion on February 22nd, 2000 and presented on March 25th 2000.  He immediately got the Church of Nigeria to adopt a Vision to make the Church of Nigeria self-reliant during his tenure.  He has introduced an endowment scheme to raise substantial investible funds which has gone a long way in realising the self- propagating, self-administering and self-sufficient, vision of the early CMS missionaries

He co-founded Abuja CAN in 1984 and was the founding Chairman for eleven years during which time the battle for a larger allocation of land for the National Ecumenical Centre was fought and won. He was the founding Chairman of the Christian Pilgrims Board FCT. in 1995.  He resigned after three years but not before the building and completion of the one and only Christian Pilgrims House in Nigeria at Abuja. He was appointed in 2002 the Chairman of the Global South (Anglican Communion). He was also appointed the Chairman, Council of Anglican Provinces of Africa (CAPA) in 2003. He was honoured with the Commander of the Order of the Niger (CON) by the President and Commander in Chief of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in 2003.

The Most Revd. Peter Akinola was elected the National President of Christian Association of Nigeria in the year 2003. In his tenure the beautiful edifice of the National Christian Centre situated in Abuja was completed and dedicated in October 2005.

The International U.S. based TIME Magazine named him twice (2006 & 2007) as one of the 100 most influential people who have got the “clout and power” to move the world.