President Bola Tinubu touched down in Rome, Italy, on Saturday, May 17, 2025, ahead of the installation ceremony of Pope Leo XIV scheduled to take place at St. Peter’s Square in the Vatican on Sunday.
The Presidency confirmed his arrival via a post on its official X handle at approximately 5:54 p.m.
In a statement on Thursday, the Presidency disclosed that President Tinubu’s trip to Rome was at the invitation of the Vatican, following the election of Pope Leo XIV by the Conclave of Cardinals.
In a letter signed by Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Pope described the Nigerian president’s presence as significant “at this moment of particular importance for the Catholic Church and the world afflicted by many tensions and conflicts.”
Pope Leo added that “Your great nation is particularly dear to me as I worked in the Apostolic Nunciature in Lagos during the 1980s.”
Tinubu’s entourage includes: Archbishop of Owerri and President of Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria (CBCN), Archbishop Lucius Ugorji; Archbishop Ignatius Kaigama of Abuja Catholic Dioscess, Alfred Martins of Lagos Diocese and Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu.
