Arturo Sosa Commenced North-West Africa Visit
The Superior General began a 10-day trip to assess Jesuit operations across five West African nations.
Updated on Oct. 10, 2026 in Catholicism
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Arturo Sosa, the Superior General of the Society of Jesus, has embarked on a 10-day apostolic visit to the North-West Africa Province. The journey includes stops in Liberia, Ghana, and Nigeria to engage with local Jesuit communities, schools, and parishes.
Why it matters
The visit allows the head of the Society of Jesus to directly assess current Jesuit collaborations and the order's service to the Catholic Church within the region. It marks the first visit by a Superior General to the area since 2009.
The North-West Africa Province, which became an autonomous province in 2005, includes Nigeria, Ghana, Liberia, Sierra Leone, and The Gambia. The Society of Jesus currently includes over 14,000 priests, brothers, scholastics, and novices worldwide.
The players
Arturo Sosa
He is the 31st Superior General of the Society of Jesus, a position he has held since his election in 2016.
Adolfo Nicolás
He previously served as the Superior General of the Society of Jesus and visited this specific region in 2009.
Chukwunyenum Afiawari
He is a Jesuit official accompanying Sosa on the current apostolic tour of the region.
Jesús Miguel Zaglul Criado
He is a Jesuit official traveling alongside Sosa to facilitate the visit to various social ministries.
The details
Arturo Sosa is traveling with Chukwunyenum Afiawari and Jesús Miguel Zaglul Criado to conduct the assessment. During the trip, he is expected to meet with teachers, students, parishioners, and young adults to discuss the integration of Jesuit social ministries in the province.
Timeline
The apostolic visit began on October 10, 2026.
The Society of Jesus was founded in 1540.
Jesuits arrived in Nigeria in 1962 and Ghana in 1968.
The North-West Africa Province achieved autonomy in 2005.
Culture Shift
This visit updates the institutional relationship between the global Jesuit leadership and its African provinces, following the precedent set by the 2009 North-West Africa Province visit by Adolfo Nicolás. It signals a renewed focus on regional autonomy within the order, 15 years after the last leadership tour.
Local parishioners and students in Nigeria, Ghana, and Liberia will have direct access to the Superior General during his scheduled meetings and public Masses. This engagement may influence the prioritization of future social ministries and educational initiatives in their respective communities.
The takeaway
This visit highlights the ongoing importance of regional autonomy for the Jesuit order in Africa since it became a province in 2005. It underscores the practical commitment to maintaining personal connections between global leadership and local ministry efforts.
Further reading
Learn more about the history and global reach of the order in our Catholicism section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Latest Nigeria News, Nigerian Newspapers, Politics.
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