By Bosun Obafemi
Abuja, Nigeria – President Bola Tinubu will travel to Rome, Italy, on Saturday to attend the inauguration of Pope Leo XIV, marking a significant diplomatic engagement between Nigeria and the Vatican.
According to a statement issued by presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga, President Tinubu will be accompanied by a delegation of prominent Catholic leaders, including Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, Archbishop Lucius Ugorji of Owerri, Archbishop Ignatius Kaigama of Abuja, Archbishop Alfred Martins of Lagos, and Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah of Sokoto Diocese.
The invitation, extended by Cardinal Pietro Parolin on behalf of Pope Leo XIV, underscores the Pontiff’s desire for President Tinubu’s presence at this pivotal moment for the Catholic Church and the world. Notably, Pope Leo XIV, formerly Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, has a personal connection to Nigeria, having served in the Apostolic Nunciature in Lagos during the 1980s.
The inauguration ceremony is scheduled to take place on Sunday, May 18, at St. Peter’s Square in the Vatican, marking the beginning of Pope Leo XIV’s tenure as the 267th Bishop of Rome and leader of the Roman Catholic Church. President Tinubu is expected to return to Abuja on Tuesday, May 20.
