It is a diplomatic post of the Holy See, whose representative is called the Apostolic Nuncio with the rank of an ambassador.
In 1948, the Holy See established the Delegation to Dakar led by Marcel-François Lefebvre[1] to represent its interests in French colonial Africa.
Following the decolonization of the region, the title of that position was changed to Apostolic Delegate to Western Africa on 23 September 1960 and given responsibility for Senegal, Upper Volta, Côte d'Ivoire, Dahomey (Benin), Guinea, Mauritania, Niger, Sudan, Togo, Ghana, Gambia, and Sierra Leone.
[2] After further reorganizations of its offices for the emerging independent nations of Africa, the Holy See created the Delegation to Nigeria and Ghana–a single office–in May 1973.
[3] Separate nunciatures for Ghana and Nigeria were erected on 29 April 1976.