As Catholics worldwide welcome Pope Leo XIV, a lesser-known detail about the new pontiff has emerged: his visit to Nigeria nearly a decade ago.

Then known as Bishop Robert Prevost, the American-born clergyman travelled to Abuja in 2016 as part of his work with the Order of St. Augustine.

The visit marked a historic milestone for the religious order.

“For the first time, General Chapter of the Order of St. Augustine on the African continent — Abuja, Nigeria,” read a translated caption from a 2016 photo posted on Pope Leo’s X (formerly Twitter) account.

READ ALSO: Robert Prevost: 10 things to know about new Pope Leo XIV

The image shows him alongside Catholic leaders, both foreign and Nigerian, dressed in traditional clerical attire.

At the time of his visit, Leo XIV was serving as Bishop of Chiclayo, Peru.

Before that, he led the Augustinian Province in Chicago and served two terms as Prior General of the global order, known for its emphasis on community life, spiritual reflection, and service.

His connection to Nigeria stands out, especially considering the country’s deep Catholic roots and the long gap since a papal visit.

The last pope to visit Nigeria was John Paul II in 1998.

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READ ALSO: Why Popes are buried in 3 coffins with bag of coins—and why Pope Francis ended it

President Bola Tinubu congratulated Pope Leo XIV on his election, saying the pontiff’s “message of faith and hope resonates across the globe.”

He also expressed joy on behalf of Nigerian Catholics, who now find a deeper link to the Vatican through the pope’s past presence in Abuja.

Pope Leo succeeds Pope Francis, who visited several African nations but never Nigeria during his papacy.

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Following Pope Francis’s passing, United States Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost has emerged as the 267th leader of the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics.

Senior Cardinal Dominique Mamberti announced Prevost to a cheering crowd on St Peter’s balcony on Wednesday afternoon, saying the famous Latin words “Habemus Papam,” meaning “we have a pope.”

Picking the papal name Leo XIV, the newly elected Pope becomes the first American to occupy the exalted religious position.

Speaking in Italian, the 69-year-old described his predecessor as always “courageous and blessed Rome.”

ALSO READ: Catholic Church elects American Robert Prevost as new Pope Leo XIV

Here are 10 quick facts to know about Leo XIV

1. Prevost was born on September 14, 1555, in Chicago, Illinois, to parents Louis Marius Prevost and Mildred Martinez.

2. In 1997, he entered the novitiate of the Order of Saint Augustine (OSA) and made his solemn vows in 1981.

3. As a former prefect of the influential Dicastery for Bishops, Prevost shared similar views to his immediate predecessor and spent many years as a missionary in Peru before he was elected the head of the Augustinians for two consecutive terms.

4. The Chicago-born prelate earned his Bachelor of Science in Mathematics from Villanova University in 1977, before proceeding to Catholic Theological Union in Chicago for his Master of Divinity. He subsequently bagged both a licentiate and doctorate in canon law from the Pontifical College of St. Thomas Aquinas in Rome, with a doctoral thesis on “The role of the local prior in the Order of Saint Augustine.”

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5. He was ordained as a priest in 1982 and joined the Augustinian mission in Peru shortly after, where he served as chancellor of the Territorial Prélature of Chulucanas from 1985 to 1986.

6. Between 1987 and 1988, he was in his home country of the US, working as pastor for vocations and director of missions for the Augustinian Province of Chicago. In 1988, he returned to Peru, where he spent the next ten years heading the Augustinian seminary in Trujillo and teaching canon law in the diocesan seminary, doubling as prefect of studies. Prevost also served in other capacities there, including as a parish pastor, diocesan official, director of formation, seminary teacher, and judicial vicar.

7. He returned to Chicago in 1999 and was elected provincial prior of the “Mother of Good Counsel” province in the archdiocese, before emerging as prior general of the Augustinian order and serving two terms until 2013.

8. The American prelate returned to Peru in 2014, following his appointment as the apostolic administrator of the Diocese of Chiclayo by Pope Francis. He was elevated to Bishop of Chiclayo in 2015, where he served as vice-president and member of the permanent council of the Peruvian Bishops’ Conference from 2018 to 2023.

ALSO READ: VIDEO: ‘Poverty is not a crime’ – Akpabio tells Nigerians from Pope’s funeral in Rome

9. Prevost served as apostolic administrator of Callao in Peru between 2020 and 2021.

10. In January 2023, Pope Francis appointed Prevost as prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops, a powerful position responsible for selecting bishops. He held this position until his predecessor died on April 21, 2025. On September 30, 2023, Pope Francis elevated Prevost to the rank of Cardinal.