Pope Francis has shunned Nigeria in his first official trip to Africa.
The pope is stated to have decided not to step into Nigeria due to the numerous attack of Islamist sect, Boko Haram. As stated by The Vatican, instead of coming to Nigeria, the pope will be visiting Kenya, Uganda and Central Republic. He will be meeting with slum dwellers and refugees. He will also call for dialogue between Christians and Muslims when he visits these three aforementioned African countries next month.
The Catholic head is billed to have a two-day stay in the state capitals of each of the countries he visits. This is the pope's first visit to Africa and he is all out to have as many inter-religious meetings as possible. Since his election as the first Latin American pope, Francis has met the most needy on each of his 10 foreign tours.
In Nairobi, he will visit Kangemi, a slum that is home to 650,000 people. He will say a Mass at a university in the capital. While in Uganda, Pope Francis is scheduled to pay a visit to the home for the disabled in Nalukolongo while his last stop is Bangui, the capital of the Central African Republic, where the centrepiece of his visit to a country plagued by inter-communal violence is a meeting with Muslim leaders in the Koudoukou mosque.