‘I look forward to receiving Pope Leo XIV,’ Says Tinubu after hosting Vatican diplomat at Aso Rock

The Vatican has hinted that Pope Leo XIV could visit Nigeria in the coming years, marking what would be his first papal trip to the country since assuming office.

The indication came on Saturday from the Vatican’s Secretary for Relations with States and International Organisations, Cardinal Carlo Maria Gallagher, after a meeting with President Bola Tinubu at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.

Speaking to journalists, Gallagher said a future papal visit to Nigeria remains a possibility.

“We have had a constant presence of the Nuncio over the years and visits from several of the Holy Fathers, and who knows, maybe in a few years’ time Pope Leo will come to visit Nigeria as well. But that’s all for the future,” he said.

Before his election in May 2025, Pope Leo XIV, then Father Robert Francis Prevost, visited Nigeria on at least nine occasions between 2001 and 2016 as Prior General of the Augustinian Order and later as Prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops.

During those visits, he travelled to several cities, including Lagos, Jos, Benin, Bida, Ibusa, Iwaro Oka-Akoko, Kano, Warri, Kaduna and Abuja.

In April 2026, Pope Leo embarked on his first apostolic visit to Africa, touring Algeria, Cameroon, Angola and Equatorial Guinea, but Nigeria was not included despite being home to more than 30 million Catholics, over 10,000 Catholic priests, and the largest number of Catholic archbishops on the continent.

Gallagher said his visit to Abuja underscored the strong diplomatic ties between Nigeria and the Holy See, noting that President Tinubu had recently appointed Paul Adikwu as Nigeria’s ambassador-designate to the Vatican.

> “The President has graciously received me this evening. We had a very nice meeting, a very good meeting.

> “The relationship is very strong and very healthy, and I was just mentioning that now Nigeria is sending a new ambassador to the Vatican, who is arriving in these days,” he said.

The Vatican official explained that his trip formed part of activities marking the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Nigeria and the Holy See.

Also speaking after the meeting, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, described the relationship as significant, citing the Catholic Church’s extensive presence and contributions in Nigeria.

“We have over 30 million Catholics in Nigeria. We have over 10,000 priests, and Nigeria has the largest number of Catholic bishops on the African continent,” she said.

She noted that diplomatic relations between Nigeria and the Holy See began in 1976, while Nigeria established its permanent mission to the Vatican in 2012.

According to the minister, the Catholic Church has continued to play a vital role in Nigeria through its investments in education, healthcare, humanitarian services, interfaith dialogue and the promotion of peace and stability across the country and the African continent.

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