Tinubu Touches Down In Rome For Historic Installation Of Pope Leo XIV

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has landed in Rome, Italy, to participate in the official installation of Pope Leo XIV, scheduled to take place on Sunday at St. Peter’s Square in the Vatican.

The Presidency confirmed the President’s arrival via a post shared on the official Presidential X (formerly Twitter) account at approximately 5:54 p.m. on Saturday.

Tinubu’s attendance follows a formal invitation from the newly elected Pope Leo XIV, who was chosen by the College of Cardinals during a Conclave convened 17 days after the passing of Pope Francis on April 21.

Earlier in the week, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, announced that Tinubu would be accompanied by a high-profile Nigerian delegation, including senior Catholic clerics.

Among those traveling with the President are Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu; Archbishop Lucius Ugorji of Owerri; President of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria, Archbishop Ignatius Kaigama of Abuja; Archbishop Alfred Martins of Lagos; and Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah of the Sokoto Diocese.

According to Onanuga, the invitation was delivered on behalf of Pope Leo XIV by Cardinal Pietro Parolin, who emphasized the Pope’s personal connection to Nigeria. The new pontiff remarked, “Your great nation holds a special place in my heart, as I served at the Apostolic Nunciature in Lagos during the 1980s.”

Pope Leo XIV, formerly known as Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, is set to be formally installed as the new head of the Roman Catholic Church on Sunday, May 18. He becomes the first Pope from the United States and will shepherd the Church’s 1.4 billion followers through a time of significant global challenges.