Long before his election as pope of the Catholic Church, Robert Prevost made his mark on Nigerian soil in 2016. Now known as Pope Leo XIV, the new American pontiff visited Abuja, Nigeria’s capital, as part of his duties as an Augustinian leader, engaging with members of the order and the broader Catholic community.

A photo posted on his X account captures this memorable moment, showing him alongside Catholic leaders—some believed to have traveled with him from abroad, while others were Nigerian clergy dressed in black and white cassocks. The post, translated from Spanish to English, reads: “For the first time, General Chapter of the Order of St. Augustine on the African continent — Abuja, Nigeria,” with the image dated September 29, 2016.

At that time, Leo was serving as the Bishop of Chiclayo, Peru, but his deep ties to the Order of St. Augustine—a Catholic religious order that has emphasized community life, an inner quest for God, and service to others since the 13th century—were evident. The order follows the teachings of St. Augustine, advocating for unity of mind and heart for the glory of God.

Before becoming a bishop, Prevost held several significant leadership positions, including Provincial of the Augustinian Province in Chicago from 1999 to 2001 and two terms as Prior General of the Order of Saint Augustine from 2001 to 2013.

Remarkably, the last papal visit to Nigeria was by Pope John Paul II in 1998, who had also visited the country in 1982. Pope Francis, Leo’s predecessor, has limited his African trips to Kenya, Uganda, the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and South Sudan.

In a heartfelt response to Leo’s election as the Bishop of Rome, Nigerian President Bola Tinubu congratulated him, expressing joy alongside the nation’s Catholics. Tinubu highlighted that the new pope’s message of faith and hope resonates across the globe, underscoring the significance of this new chapter in the Catholic Church.