- Tinubu to Pope Leo XIV: Nigeria Needs Your Spiritual Leadership on Peace
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- Seeks Stronger Partnership for Peace
President Bola Tinubu has expressed his desire to host Pope Leo XIV in Nigeria, saying the country would benefit from the Pontiff’s spiritual leadership at a time when the world is searching for lasting peace.
Eko Hot Blog reports that the President made the remarks on Saturday while receiving the Vatican’s Secretary for Relations with States and International Organisations, Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
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The meeting coincided with the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Nigeria and the Holy See.
Reflecting on his recent visit to the Vatican for Pope Leo XIV’s inauguration, Tinubu described the occasion as historic and praised the Pope’s commitment to promoting peace across the world.
“I appreciate the Pope. It was an honour for me to lead the Nigerian delegation to his inauguration. It was a moment of history. I have seen his efforts around the world in promoting peace. We need his spiritual engagement because millions of people look up to him. I look forward to receiving him in Nigeria,” the President said.
Tinubu also reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to maintaining religious harmony and strengthening collaboration with faith-based organisations.
He praised the Catholic Church for its longstanding contributions to education, healthcare and humanitarian services in Nigeria, recalling that as Governor of Lagos State, his administration returned several mission schools to their original owners after they had been taken over by previous military governments.
According to the President, the Catholic Church continues to play an important role in national development through its educational and social interventions.
Tinubu urged Archbishop Gallagher to convey his appreciation to Catholic bishops and religious leaders in Nigeria, encouraging them to continue promoting peace, tolerance and national unity.
“Our bishops and religious leaders have been doing a great job. Please encourage them to continue preaching peace and tolerance. We can never have too much of that,” he said.
Addressing concerns over insecurity, Tinubu insisted that Nigeria’s security challenges should not be viewed through a religious lens.
He pointed to his own family as an example of religious coexistence, noting that his wife, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, is a pastor in an evangelical church.
He explained that the government remains committed to protecting freedom of worship while intensifying efforts to combat insecurity across the country.
The President disclosed that more resources had been committed to strengthening security operations, expanding surveillance in previously ungoverned areas and investing in young people to reduce their vulnerability to recruitment by criminal and terrorist groups.
While acknowledging that isolated security incidents still occur, Tinubu said the Nigerian military had recorded significant progress and remained determined to sustain its gains.
Speaking earlier, Archbishop Gallagher conveyed Pope Leo XIV’s appreciation to Tinubu for personally attending his inauguration.
He described Nigeria as the heart of Africa and praised the country’s vibrant Catholic community, noting that it remains one of the strongest centres of Catholicism on the continent.
The Vatican envoy also commended the Federal Government’s efforts in promoting peace and appreciated Nigeria’s continued support for the Catholic Church, including the ease of processing visas for bishops and other church officials.
Gallagher informed the President that he looked forward to receiving Nigeria’s incoming Ambassador to the Holy See in the coming weeks and assured him that the Vatican hoped to strengthen its relationship with Nigeria through more high-level engagements.
Before becoming Pope in 2025, Pope Leo XIV, formerly Father Robert Francis Prevost, visited Nigeria at least nine times between 2001 and 2016 in his capacity as Prior General of the Augustinian Order and later as Prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops.
His visits took him to several Nigerian cities, including Lagos, Abuja, Kaduna, Benin, Jos, Warri, Kano, Bida and Ibusa, where he participated in pastoral and church activities.
Although the Pope undertook his first apostolic visit to Africa in April 2026, covering Algeria, Cameroon, Angola and Equatorial Guinea, Nigeria was not included in the itinerary despite being home to more than 30 million Catholics and one of the continent’s largest Catholic populations.
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