President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is scheduled to travel to Rome this weekend, where he will join global dignitaries at the official inauguration ceremony of the newly elected head of the Roman Catholic Church, Pope Leo XIV.
The announcement was made on Thursday in a formal statement by Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy. According to the release, the president’s visit follows an invitation extended by the Vatican, underscoring the diplomatic and spiritual significance of the occasion.
The event, slated for Sunday, May 18, will feature a high mass at St. Peter’s Square in the Vatican, marking the formal beginning of the pontificate of Pope Leo XIV, formerly Cardinal Robert Prevost who was elected by the College of Cardinals following the passing of Pope Francis on April 21.
In his official invitation, conveyed by Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the new Pope expressed his desire for President Tinubu’s presence, calling it vital amid the complex global landscape marked by tension and uncertainty.
The Pontiff, reflecting on his past service at the Apostolic Nunciature in Lagos during the 1980s, noted his personal connection to Nigeria, referring to the West African nation as “particularly dear to me.”
President Tinubu will be accompanied by a distinguished delegation that includes high-ranking religious and government figures. Among them are Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs; Archbishop Lucius Ugorji of Owerri, who serves as President of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria; Archbishop Ignatius Kaigama of Abuja; and Archbishop Alfred Martins of Lagos. Also joining the delegation is Bishop Matthew Kukah of Sokoto Diocese.
The ceremony is expected to draw world leaders, spiritual figures, and international observers, signaling the start of a new chapter for the global Catholic community under Pope Leo XIV’s leadership.
President Tinubu is expected to return to Abuja on Tuesday, May 20, following the conclusion of the official engagements in the Vatican.
