Nigeria Missing Has Pope Leo XIV Announces Tour of Africa

His Holiness, Pope Leo XIV, is set to visit Africa in a day 10 trip that will see him make stops at four countries across four regions on the continent.

On Monday April, 16, 2026, the Holy See Press Office published the mottos and logos for the Pope's Apostolic visit to Africa, which will run from April 13 - 23, 2026, with stops in Algeria, Cameroon, Angola, and Equatorial Guinea.

This is the Pope's first visit to Africa after he was elected to lead the Catholic church in May 2025 following the passing of Pop Francis in April 2025. During his visit to these African countries, the Pope will be interacting with the Catholic communities, Christians, and leaders with the purpose of promoting global peace.

Pope Leo XIV's visit to Algeria will also be the first-ever Papal visit to a Muslim-majority country and a major step in the Pope's interfaith advocacy.

Nigeria will not be seeing Pope Leo during his upcoming tour as the country's wait for a Papal visit enters its 28th year. The last Papal visit to the country was Pope John Paul II in 1998 and also in 1982.

Nigeria boasts of a large Catholic community with several prominent leaders of the church, such as Cardinal Olubunmi Okojie, Cardinal Arinze, Cardinal John Onaiyekan, Cardinal Okpaleke, Archbishop Matthew Ndagoso, and Bishop Hassan Kukah, among other high-level Bishops. During the Papal Inauguration of Pope Leo XIV, the Nigerian delegation was led by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

While Pope Leo XIV will not be visiting Nigeria, he previously visited the country almost a decade ago, before he was elected to lead the Catholic Church. In 2016, then known as Bishop Robert Prevost, travelled to Abuja in 2016 as part of his work with the Order of St. Augustine.

While Nigeria will not be seeing the Pope during his upcoming African tour, he has ceaselessly sent prayers to the nation amidst the rising insecurity crisis rocking the country. The Catholic church has been particularly affected by these acts of terrorism, which have led to the loss of lives of priests and members of the church, especially in the Northern part of the country and the Middle Belt.