Iwene Tansi was born in Nigeria in 1903. His parents were not Christian but he was baptised in 1912 and given the name Michael. He trained and worked as a teacher but later joined the seminary and was ordained for the diocese of Onitsha in 1937 where he served with great zeal for 13 years. He felt a call to lead a more contemplative life and desired to bring monastic life to Nigeria. In 1950 he entered the monastery of Mt St Bernard in England where he was given the name Cyprian. When Mt St Bernard made a foundation in Cameroon in 1963 Cyprian was named as Novice Master of the new monastery, but he was unable to travel because of his ill health. He died on 20 January 1964. Cyprian Michael Iwene was beatified by Pope John Paul II on 22 March 1983, the first Nigerian to receive beatification.