On 4 April 1970, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih III (rh) embarked on a 9-weeks tour of West African countries. Large Ahmadiyya communities have flourished in these countries for quite some time. Members had longed for a long time to see Huzoor (rh) in person. At last their intense desire was fulfilled. African Ahmadi men, women, children and even elderly traveled long distances to see Huzoor (rh) in person. To welcome their beloved Imam they chanted heart-warming religious poems and uplifting slogans in their traditional ways. Huzoor’s inspiring speeches strengthened their faith.

During Huzoor’s epic travel to this continent, many eminent personalities of African countries had audience with Huzoor (rh) and attended the receptions given in his honour. They readily acknowledged educational, social as well as spiritual services rendered by the Movement. Newspapers, radio, and television gave wide coverage to his travels.

In a nutshell this journey was a tremendous success in many respects. In fact, it heralded a new era of preaching in West Africa. This was one of the main objectives for which Huzoor (rh) had started the Nusrat Jehan Scheme, and appealed for a contribution of 100,000 sterling pounds. Under the guidelines of this project Ahmadi doctors and teachers are serving in Nigeria, Ghana, Liberia, Gambia, and Sierra Leone by running 17 medical clinics and 15 secondary schools.