Elder Clark G. Gilbert Visits Africa West Area Where "the Lord is Hastening His Work” Through Education

BYU-Pathway Worldwide and other Church education programs are helping thousands across West Africa build brighter futures and communities

Elder Clark G. Gilbert of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles stands at a podium speaking to BYU-Pathway students at a devotional in Accra, Ghana.

As the Africa West Area experiences record-breaking growth — both in membership of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and enrollment in the educational opportunities it provides — Elder Clark G. Gilbert of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and his wife, Christine, visited with the area’s members, leaders, students, and educators in late August.

As reported in the Church Newsroom , Elder Gilbert emphasized that BYU-Pathway Worldwide , Succeed in School , and Seminaries and Institutes of Religion are all part of the Church’s unified educational effort to help people around the world to prepare academically, spiritually, and professionally.

Benjamin Ahialorxo, a BYU-Pathway student in Accra Ghana, stands proud after joining the Church and learning about BYU-Pathway. — Benjamin Ahialorxo, a BYU-Pathway student in Ghana, works remotely as a talent support specialist after joining the Church and learning about BYU-Pathway.

Belinda Van-Addo, BYU-Pathway student, poses with her husband, Kelvin, who introduced her to BYU-Pathway. — Belinda Van-Addo, a BYU-Pathway student in Ghana, was introduced to BYU-Pathway through her future husband, Kelvin, where she later joined the Church, served a mission in Côte d’Ivoire, and now works remotely.

BYU-Pathway served more than 27,000 students in the Africa West Area in 2025. More than 20,000 of those students are located in Nigeria, which surpassed the United States as the country with the most students enrolled for the first time this year.

“In Africa, they say the greatest gift you can give anyone, apart from the blessings of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ, is the blessing of education,” said Victor Ukorebi, senior international area manager for BYU-Pathway in Africa.

Brenda Epeyon, BYU-Pathway student, smiles with her husband, Isaac, and two children because BYU-Pathway helped her grow professionally and have flexibility at home. — Brenda Epeyon, a BYU-Pathway student from Kenya, smiles with her husband, Isaac, and two children saying that BYU-Pathway helped her professionally while also giving her greater flexibility at home.

In addition to BYU-Pathway, the efforts of the Church Educational System in West Africa include Succeed in School, in which nearly 50,000 youth in the area strengthen their academic skills and prepare for future educational opportunities.

“Today we have thousands of students who earned their degrees and have jobs here in West Africa, and we didn’t know any of that [when we started],” said Elder Gilbert, who previously served as the inaugural president of BYU-Pathway. “It’s not like we had this vision and then it just had to be realized. The Lord had a vision, and we had to catch up to the Lord.”

It’s not like we had this vision and then it just had to be realized. The Lord had a vision, and we had to catch up to the Lord.

Elder Clark G. Gilbert

To read the full story, visit news-africa.churchofjesuschrist.org .

About BYU-Pathway Worldwide

BYU-Pathway Worldwide was founded and is supported and guided by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Its mission is to develop disciples of Jesus Christ who are leaders in their homes, the Church, and their communities. Serving more than 89,000 students in 180 countries in 2025 alone, BYU-Pathway Worldwide provides access to spiritually-based degrees from BYU-Idaho and Ensign College, completely online at a significantly reduced cost.

Article published on September 14, 2026