President Bola Ahmed Tinubu will travel to Rome on Saturday following an invitation from Pope Leo XIV to attend his papal inauguration on Sunday, May 18.
The solemn mass at St. Peter’s Square will mark the formal beginning of the pontificate of Pope Leo XIV, formerly Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, the 267th Bishop of Rome. He was elected by the College of Cardinals 27 days after the passing of Pope Francis on April 21.
In a letter delivered by Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Pope emphasized the importance of President Tinubu’s presence, noting global conflicts and his personal connection to Nigeria, having served in the Apostolic Nunciature in Lagos during the 1980s.
President Tinubu will be accompanied by Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, and top Catholic clerics including Archbishops Lucius Ugorji, Ignatius Kaigama, Alfred Martins, and Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah.
