President Bola Ahmed Tinubu arrived in Rome on Saturday to attend the official inauguration Mass of His Holiness, Pope Leo XIV, the 267th Pontiff of the Roman Catholic Church.

A statement from presidential spokesperson Bayo Onanuga confirmed that the installation ceremony will take place on Sunday, May 18, at St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City.

President Tinubu’s plane, Nigeria Air Force 1, landed at Mario De Bernardo Military Airport at 6:00 p.m. local time, where he was welcomed by Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, Nigeria’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, alongside Vatican and Nigerian diplomatic officials.

The President’s visit follows a formal invitation extended by Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican’s Secretary of State, who emphasized the importance of President Tinubu’s presence at this pivotal moment for the global Catholic community.

“Your great nation is especially close to my heart, as I once served in the Apostolic Nunciature in Lagos during the 1980s,” Pope Leo XIV noted in his invitation to the Nigerian leader.

The Vatican highlighted the significance of this event amid ongoing global unrest, noting that Nigeria’s participation underscores its vital role in international religious and diplomatic affairs.

President Tinubu is accompanied by leading figures from Nigeria’s Catholic Church, including:

Archbishop Lucius Ugorji, President of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria and Archbishop of Owerri,

Archbishop Ignatius Kaigama of Abuja,

Archbishop Alfred Martins of Lagos, and

Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah of the Sokoto Diocese.

The President’s attendance reflects Nigeria’s ongoing commitment to religious harmony and interfaith collaboration, as well as the strong diplomatic ties between Nigeria and the Holy See.

Additional meetings between Nigerian delegates and Vatican representatives are scheduled to follow the Mass.