NEWS
Leo Becomes First Pope to Visit Algeria at Start of Major Africa Tour
Pope Leo XIV wants to “turn the world’s attention to Africa”, according to a senior Vatican official, as he embarks on a significant tour of the continent addressing themes of peace, migration and dialogue between religions.
The 11-day trip, which starts on Monday, is Pope Leo’s second major foreign visit since being elected to the papacy in May last year, and is a reflection of Africa’s increasing importance to Catholicism.
More than a fifth of the world’s Catholics are in Africa, some 288 million people, according to figures from 2024. It is one of the fastest-growing regions for the Church.
The Vatican said its latest survey shows a “remarkable increase” in the number of baptised Catholics on the continent.
Little wonder then that the trip is regarded as a personal priority for Pope Leo.
The wide-ranging tour will include stop-offs in 11 cities in four countries: Algeria, Cameroon, Angola and Equatorial Guinea. In all, the Pope will travel nearly 18,000 km (11,185 miles), clocking up most of the distance on 18 flights.
All but one of the countries have large Catholic populations, but he has chosen a non-Catholic country – Algeria – as his first stop, as it holds deep significance for him.
It is the birthplace of St Augustine, and Pope Leo XIV is the first pontiff from the order that follows his teachings.
The ideas of the 4th Century North African theologian, such as community and humility, have helped shape the current leader of the Catholic Church.
The Pope will go to the region where St Augustine was a bishop – formerly known as Hippo, now called Annaba – where he will celebrate Mass.
This marks the first visit by any pope to Algeria. After arriving in the capital city Algiers, Pope Leo visited the Martyrs’ Memorial, where he paid tribute to the victims of Algeria’s independence war against France.
He also used his speech to call for “forgiveness”, saying it was the only way that peace can be achieved.
Dialogue with the Islamic world is also expected to be a key focus, with a visit to the Great Mosque of Algiers being an important moment.
So too will a stop at a place of pilgrimage and prayer for both Muslims and Christians – the Basilica of our Lady of Africa – also in Algeria’s capital.
Behind the statue depicting a black Virgin Mary – venerated in both religions – are the words “pray for us and pray for the Muslims”.
The Rector of the Basilica, Father Peter Claver Kogh, said that he expected Pope Leo would “encourage us in our faith and in our mission to build a new world.
“A world where there is peace and where people live together in harmony.”
But the trip comes as rights groups express their concern over Algeria’s treatment of religious minorities.
Algeria has a predominantly Sunni Muslim population. In the past, courts in the North Africa nation have imprisoned Christians and Ahmadi Muslims for what had been described as “unauthorised worship” or offence to Islam.
After Algeria, Pope Leo will go on to Cameroon, where the conflict in its two anglophone regions will provide a backdrop.
The UN estimates at least 6,000 people have been killed and over half a million forced from their homes in the violence that has spanned nearly a decade, sparked by tensions between English-speaking separatists and the francophone-dominated government.
Bamenda, the capital of Cameroon’s North-West region, has been at the centre of the conflict.
It is here that the Pope will hold a Mass for peace and justice at the airport. Local residents hope it might act as a catalyst for reconciliation.
Ernestine Afanwi, a 45-year-old woman who fled Bamenda after her house and shop were destroyed, said that because the Pope was God’s representative on earth, “I know that everything will be solved”.
For the last three years, she and her six children have been living with other internally displaced people at a ramshackle old feed processing plant in the capital, Yaoundé.
“If I was face-to-face with the Pope, I would tell him all my problems [and ask] him to anoint the land,” she said.
The impact of conflict will also be a focus of the stop in Angola, a country which experienced decades of bloody civil war between the mid-1970s and 2002. A key theme will be peace and reconstruction.
In addition to meeting bishops, the pontiff will celebrate Mass with some 200,000 faithful, in a country where between 40% and 55% of the population identify as Catholic.
The presence of the Catholic Church in Angola dates back to the late 15th Century, when Portuguese explorers and missionaries arrived along the Angolan coast.
In Equatorial Guinea, the last country on the tour, more than 70% of people identify as Catholic.
Social justice is among the issues that the Pope is expected to address in a country whose president has been in power for almost 50 years, making him one of the world’s longest-serving heads of state.
Critics say President Teodoro Obiang Nguema’s government is one of the most oppressive in the region, and accuse the regime of human rights abuses – allegations which the government denies.
In addition to meeting authorities, Pope Leo is expected to visit a psychiatric hospital and a prison, as well as meeting young people.
While this will be his first pastoral visit to Africa since assuming the leadership of the Catholic Church last year, the Pope is no stranger to the continent.
As Cardinal Robert Prevost, he visited several countries including Kenya and Tanzania.
The 70-year-old pontiff will deliver around 25 speeches, as well as meeting political leaders, local Catholic communities and holding interfaith events.
The intensity of the tour is an indication of how the Vatican is prioritising its broader engagement with the continent.
By selecting Africa for this extensive itinerary, says the Vatican, Pope Leo will reinforce the continent’s role in global Catholic life, showcasing it as a place of faith, resilience and future growth.
Ghana says it will evacuate 300 citizens from South Africa following a recent wave of protests against foreign nationals.
Foreign Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa said in a post on X on Tuesday that the Ghanaian president had granted approval for their “immediate evacuation”.
He said the “distressed” Ghanaians had registered at the country’s embassy in Pretoria to be rescued in response to an advisory by the foreign ministry “Following the latest wave of xenophobic attacks”.
Last week, South African authorities denied that anyone had been attacked, saying the widely circulated videos were fake.
On Monday, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said the recent “protests and criminal acts directed at foreign nationals” did not reflect government policy, describing them as “isolated acts of criminality”.
He added that South Africa would “regulate migration, secure our borders and enforce our laws”.
Thousands of South Africans joined protests against illegal immigration, demanding the mass deportation of undocumented foreign nationals. Protesters say illegal immigration has had an impact on jobs, housing and crime.
On Tuesday, the Ghanaian embassy in South Africa advised nationals to be highly cautious and prioritise their safety by avoiding public gatherings and shut their shops or businesses in the port city of Durban ahead of a protest planned on Wednesday.
Ghana and Nigeria have recently summoned the South African envoys to their respective countries over the mistreatment and harassment of their citizens.
Ghana has also written to the African Union (AU) asking it to discuss the issue, saying it posed a “serious risk to the safety and wellbeing” of Africans in South Africa.
South Africa responded by saying it had “nothing to hide”. The government has condemned the circulation of what it called “fake videos and images” described by some as recordings of attacks on foreign nationals.
Other countries that have warned their citizens in South Africa include Kenya, Malawi, Lesotho and Zimbabwe.
According to official figures, South Africa is home to more than three million foreigners, or about 5% of the population, but there are believed to be many more without papers.
Xenophobia has long been an issue in the country and has been accompanied by occasional outbursts of deadly attacks.
The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Alhaji Mohammed Idris, said the Federal Government’s Digital Switchover (DSO) project is ready for commissioning on June 17.
Idris disclosed this on Wednesday in Abuja while speaking with newsmen after assessing DSO facilities put in place by the Nigerian Communications Satellite Ltd.
(NIGCOMSAT) in partnership with National Broadcasting Commission (NBC).The DSO project, managed by the NBC, is Nigeria’s nationwide transition from analog to digital terrestrial television broadcasting.
The project aims to improve broadcast quality, boost the digital economy, and free up spectrum for broadband.
The minister described the completion of the DSO project as an indication that President Bola Tinubu had fulfilled his promise in carrying out reforms across the sectors, especially the broadcast industry.
“I think this is a new dawn for our country. The promise that President Bola Tinubu made that he is going to reform all sectors and we are seeing this reform in action in the broadcast industry.
“You recall that for many years, Nigerians have been grappling with this idea of the digital switchover. In other words, moving our transmissions from the analogue to the digital.
“Now this has happened and is ready to be inaugurated by June 17, this year,” he said.
According to him, while going around the facilities, many of the channels have already been unbundled here.
“This is going to bring a lot of advantages to all the broadcasters, the viewers, and everybody that advertises.
“Now science is at play. I mean, if you are now viewing any particular station, you know who is viewing what, how many people are viewing.”
The minister said that the standard measurement that was absent in the previous experiments was now being made available.
According to him, this will help advertisers to make informed decisions about what programming is it that people are watching, and what is it that Nigerians want to watch across all the demographics.
“So, it’s easy for you to now say, I want to put an advert on this channel or I want to put it on this channel. Who are you targeting?”
The minister lauded the collaboration between NIGCOMSAT, NBC and the Ministries of Communication and Information and National Orientation for making the initiative happen.
He also thanked President Tinubu for providing all the resources required to deliver the project to Nigerians.
“It’s been such a shame in the past that Nigeria has not been able to achieve this. But now the digital switchover is here.
“Everybody now can watch whatever he wants to watch in real time and painlessly. Free TV everywhere for everybody.
“This will enable viewers, advertisers, and everybody to now take informed decisions about what he views on any particular channel.
“I think this is a great thing that is happening. And we know that by the time that we return here on June 17, when this is going to be officially unveiled to Nigerians, Nigerians will really be very happy about it.”
The Managing Director/ CEO of NIGCOMSAT, Jane Egerton-Idehen, attributed the success of the DSO project to the strong collaboration among relevant agencies and support given to NIGCOMSAT by the President.
The Director-General of the NBC, Charles Ebuebu, said the commission had considered emerging technologies while designing digital terrestrial television broadcasting.
“The younger population like things on their mobile devices. That’s why we have put this there.
“We have also gone by way of satellites. So, rather than restricting content to just eight cities. We are all over Nigeria and beyond,” the NBC D-G said.
According to him, NBC is updating the list of channels. We are going to have 100 channels by the day of launch. And even more because more content producers are talking to us.
“We are also bringing up content. We have six regional studios around the country.
“You don’t have to travel to Lagos or Abuja or Kano to develop your content. You just go to the nearest regional studio and develop,” he said.
Fresh data from the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority has shown that the Dangote Petroleum Refinery & Petrochemicals exported an estimated 1.66 billion litres of refined petroleum products in April 2026.
This came amid mounting tensions in the Middle East and fears of possible disruption to global fuel supply routes following the growing conflict involving the United States and Iran.
An analysis of the NMDPRA’s April 2026 fact sheet showed that the country exported about 513 million litres of Premium Motor Spirit, popularly called petrol; 534 million litres of Automotive Gas Oil, also known as diesel; and 615 million litres of aviation fuel within the month under review.
The Dangote refinery is the only major functional refinery in Nigeria that currently produces enough refined petroleum products for both local consumption and export.
This is the first month the refinery has exported such a high volume of petroleum products, especially jet fuel and diesel, indicating the significance of the 650,000-barrel-per-day plant in Lekki, Lagos State.
The combined export volume translates to approximately 55.4 million litres daily. The development comes as the international oil market faces fresh uncertainty over the security of the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global oil shipping route, following the failure of the United States and Iran to agree on a peace deal.
Industry experts said the rising geopolitical uncertainty had significantly boosted demand for refined petroleum products from alternative suppliers such as Nigeria, especially as Europe, Africa, and parts of Asia scramble for more secure fuel sources.
The NMDPRA document showed that local refineries operated at an average capacity utilisation of 99.12 per cent in April, with the Dangote refinery accounting for the overwhelming share of production.
The regulator stated that the refinery achieved 100 per cent capacity utilisation “for most of the days in April.” The report also indicated that domestic refineries received 18.37 million barrels of crude oil in April, up from 13.11 million barrels recorded in March.
Findings further showed that the refinery maintained strong export momentum despite increased domestic supply obligations. According to the fact sheet, average daily petrol production stood at 53.6 million litres, while 40.7 million litres were supplied locally and 17.1 million litres were exported daily. Similarly, diesel production averaged 23.6 million litres daily, with exports accounting for 17.8 million litres per day, more than double the domestic supply volume of 8 million litres daily. For aviation fuel, exports stood at 20.5 million litres daily, compared to the domestic supply of 2.6 million litres per day.
The strong aviation fuel export performance comes weeks after reports emerged that domestic airline operators threatened to shut down over the rising cost of the fuel.
There are reports that Nigeria has become a net petrol exporter for the first time in decades due to rising output from the Dangote refinery. The refinery had earlier exported about 434 million litres of petrol in March after domestic production exceeded local consumption levels.
The latest figures underscore Nigeria’s gradual transition from a major importer of refined petroleum products to an export hub within Africa. It was observed that jet fuel exports may rise further if instability in the Middle East continues to disrupt traditional supply chains serving Europe and other regions.
The Middle East accounts for a substantial share of global aviation fuel exports, with the Strait of Hormuz serving as a strategic transit corridor for crude oil and refined petroleum products. The prolonged disruption in the region has tightened global fuel supply and pushed up prices internationally.
The NMDPRA report also revealed that Nigerians consumed an average of 51.1 million litres of petrol daily in April, slightly above the 50 million litres benchmark estimated by the regulator. Diesel consumption stood at 17.3 million litres daily, while aviation fuel consumption averaged 2.5 million litres per day.
Despite increased local refining activity, petrol prices remained elevated across the country. The regulator attributed prevailing prices partly to international crude oil costs, which averaged $120.55 per barrel during the month, while gasoline costs stood at $1,074.97 per metric tonne.
The refinery, with a nameplate capacity of 650,000 barrels per day, is expected to play a central role in Nigeria’s energy security and foreign exchange earnings as global fuel trade patterns shift amid geopolitical tensions.
As the Nigerian refinery exports petrol, the NMDPRA has continued to issue licences for the importation of petrol.
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