The Vatican’s Secretary for Relations with States and International Organisations, Archbishop Paul Gallagher, has hinted that Pope Leo XIV may visit Nigeria in the coming years.
Gallagher made the remark on Saturday while speaking to journalists after a meeting with President Bola Tinubu at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.
“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,” the Vatican’s foreign minister said.
Before his election as Pope in May 2025, Pope Leo XIV, then Robert Francis Prevost, visited Nigeria at least nine times between 2001 and 2016 in his capacity as Prior General of the Augustinian Order and later as Prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops.
During those visits, he travelled to Lagos, Jos, Benin, Bida, Ibusa, Iwaro Oka-Akoko, Kano, Warri, Kaduna and Abuja.
In April 2026, Pope Leo XIV undertook his first apostolic journey to Africa, visiting Algeria, Cameroon, Angola and Equatorial Guinea. Nigeria, despite being home to more than 30 million Catholics and over 10,000 Catholic priests, was not included in the itinerary.
Gallagher described Nigeria’s relationship with the Holy See as strong, citing President Tinubu’s appointment of Paul Adikwu as Nigeria’s ambassador-designate to the Vatican as evidence of healthy bilateral ties.
“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.
He explained that his visit formed part of activities marking the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Nigeria and the Holy See and included engagements with both government officials and the Catholic Church in Nigeria.
President Tinubu, in a statement issued on Saturday by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, said he looked forward to welcoming Pope Leo XIV to Nigeria.
“I appreciate the Pope. It was an honour for me to lead the Nigerian delegation to his inauguration as Pope Leo XIV. It was a moment of history. I see his efforts all over the world to promote world peace.
“We need his spiritual engagement, as millions around the world look up to him. I look forward to receiving him in Nigeria,” the President said.
Tinubu also reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to religious harmony and acknowledged the Catholic Church’s contributions to education, healthcare and humanitarian services in Nigeria.
“I understand the roles that the Catholic Church has been playing in expanding the frontiers of education, health and humanitarianism in Nigeria. It means a lot to us in Nigeria, and the country is benefiting from it,” he said.
The President urged Catholic bishops and other religious leaders to continue promoting peace and tolerance across the country.
Addressing concerns over insecurity, Tinubu maintained that the country’s security challenges were not rooted in religion. He said his administration was investing more resources in security operations, expanding surveillance in vulnerable areas and creating opportunities for young people to reduce their susceptibility to recruitment by terrorist groups.
Minister of Foreign Affairs Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, who attended the meeting, described Gallagher’s visit as significant, noting Nigeria’s large Catholic population and the Church’s longstanding contributions to national development.
She said Nigeria has more than 30 million Catholics, over 10,000 priests and the largest number of Catholic bishops in Africa, adding that diplomatic relations with the Holy See, established in 1976, have grown into a partnership extending beyond diplomacy to education, healthcare, humanitarian response and interfaith dialogue.
According to the minister, the Catholic Church continues to play a vital role in promoting peace and stability in Nigeria and across the African continent.
