LAGOS, Nigeria — The Superior General of the Society of Jesus, Rev. Fr. Arturo Sosa, SJ, begins a historic ten-day apostolic visit to the North-West Africa Province (ANW) on Saturday, October 10, 2026.
This journey marks the first-ever visit by the Father General to the five-country province, comprising Nigeria, Ghana, Liberia, Sierra Leone, and The Gambia. It also represents the first time a Jesuit Superior General has toured the territory in over 15 years, following the 2009 visit of his predecessor, Fr. Adolfo Nicolás, SJ.
The ANW Provincial Superior, Fr. John Ghansah, SJ, is hosting the highly anticipated regional tour. According to a statement from ANW spokesperson, Fr. Chijioke Azuawusiefe, SJ, the extensive itinerary is designed to enable Fr. Sosa see firsthand how Jesuits and their collaborators address the needs of both the Church and local communities in the West African sub-region.
Accompanying Father General from Rome are Fr. Chukwunyenum “Chuks” Afiawari, SJ, who serves as the global Director of Communications for the Society of Jesus and the interim Regional Assistant for Africa, alongside Fr. Jesús Miguel Zaglul Criado, SJ, General Counselor of the Society of Jesus.
During the ten-day tour, Father General will travel from Liberia through Ghana, ultimately concluding his journey in Nigeria. His route brings him directly to various Jesuit communities, schools, parishes, and social ministries in Monrovia (Wein Town and Caldwell), Liberia; Accra and Cape Coast in Ghana; and Lagos, Abuja, Benin City, and Port Harcourt in Nigeria.
He will pay courtesy visits to prelates and ecclesial authorities in these locations as well as meet and celebrate the Eucharist with Jesuits and their partners in mission who play a part in the life and apostolate of the Society of Jesus: teachers, parishioners, young adults, students, and other individuals served through the ministries of the Province.
This commitment to widespread ministry is rooted in the Order’s origins. Commonly known as the Jesuits, the Society of Jesus is a religious order within the Catholic Church founded in 1540 by St. Ignatius of Loyola and officially recognized by Pope Paul III.
Anchored in a unique spiritual charism centered on “finding God in all things” and seeking the greater glory of God (magis), the Order has achieved a vast global spread across nearly every continent. Historically instrumental in missionary frontiers, the Jesuits’ primary apostolic engagements today focus on education, pastoral ministry, intellectual research, spiritual formation through the Spiritual Exercises, and local initiatives dedicated to human rights, reconciliation, and social justice.
The story of the North-West Africa Province (ANW) itself dates back to the mid-20th century. Following a formal request by regional church leadership, the first Jesuits arrived in Nigeria in 1962, and then in Ghana in 1968. For decades, the mission functioned as a dependent region under the New York Province. It became an autonomous North-West Africa Province in 2005.
To govern the extensive global Jesuit network, the office of the Superior General (often referred to historically as the “Father General”) carries immense administrative and pastoral responsibility, leading an international religious order of over 14,000 Jesuit priests, brothers, scholastics, and novices.
Elected in 2016, Fr. Arturo Sosa is the 31st Superior General of the Jesuits and holds the historic distinction of being the first Latin American and first non-European to lead the Order since its inception.
For the Society of Jesus, universal pastoral visits of this nature are vital to its identity and mission. They give the Superior General a chance to accompany Jesuits and their collaborators, understand their specific local realities and challenges, and strengthen the shared work entrusted to the Order.
Fr. Arturo Sosa’s visit represents a historic chapter for the ANW Province. It gives the Province a meaningful space to share its joy, reflect on its apostolic priorities, and evaluate its growth since the visit of Fr. Sosa’s predecessor in 2009, while discerning the challenges and opportunities ahead.