Just In: Pope Leo XIV to Visit Nigeria Soon as Ties Deepen

By Samuel Akpan

Vatican Secretary for Relations with States Archbishop Paul Gallagher has sparked excitement by hinting that Pope Leo XIV could visit Nigeria soon, strengthening historic bonds with Africa’s largest Catholic population.

“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,” Gallagher told journalists after meeting President Bola Tinubu at Aso Rock Villa on Saturday.

The Vatican’s foreign minister led a delegation to Abuja to mark the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Nigeria and the Holy See, established in 1976. Nigeria opened its Vatican mission in 2012.

Gallagher praised the appointment of Paul Adikwu as Nigeria’s new ambassador to the Holy See, describing it as evidence of robust bilateral ties.

“The relationship is very strong and very healthy,” he said.

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

His travels took him to Lagos, Jos, Benin, Bida, Ibusa, Iwaro Oka-Akoko in Ondo State where the Holy Mary statute is erected on the hill, Kano, Warri, Kaduna and Abuja.

In April 2026, the Pontiff made his first apostolic journey to Africa, visiting Algeria, Cameroon, Angola and Equatorial Guinea—but notably skipping Nigeria, home to over 30 million Catholics, more than 10,000 priests and the continent’s largest number of archbishops.

President Tinubu expressed eagerness to host the Pope, saying: “I look forward to receiving him in Nigeria.”

He highlighted the spiritual leadership the world seeks from Pope Leo XIV on global peace.

Tinubu recalled his long relationship with the Catholic Church, noting that as Lagos governor he returned mission schools seized by past military regimes.

He praised the Church’s vital contributions to education, healthcare and humanitarian work across Nigeria.

“My administration will continue to work on religious harmony among all faiths,” Tinubu told Gallagher, urging bishops and religious leaders to keep promoting peace and tolerance.

On security challenges, the President insisted killings are not religiously motivated, pointing out that his wife is a pastor in an evangelical church, to underscore that conflicts transcend faith lines.

Tinubu assured the Vatican envoy of military gains against insecurity, with more resources deployed for surveillance in vulnerable areas and youth investments to counter radicalisation.

Foreign Affairs Minister Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, who attended the meeting, emphasised Nigeria’s significant Catholic footprint: “We have over 30 million Catholics in Nigeria. We have over 10,000 priests, and Nigeria has the largest number of Catholic bishops in the African continent.”

Odumegwu-Ojukwu described the Catholic Church’s impact as extending deeply into education, healthcare, interfaith dialogue, humanitarian aid and peace-building efforts across Africa and beyond.