President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has stated that his administration is aggressively guaranteeing the freedom of worship across Nigeria, pointing to his own household as a prime example of religious tolerance that should de-escalate the country’s historic interfaith tensions.
The President made the remarks on Saturday at his residence in Abuja while hosting a high-level Vatican delegation led by Archbishop Paul R. Gallagher, the Holy See’s Secretary for Relations with States and International Organizations.
Archbishop Gallagher was accompanied to the audience by the newly appointed Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu.
Addressing the complexities of religious faith in Nigeria, President Tinubu pointed to his marriage to First Lady Senator Oluremi Tinubu an ordained pastor in an evangelical church as a powerful counter-narrative to domestic religious friction.
“We are also doing a lot to guarantee freedom of worship. As you may be aware, my wife is a pastor at an evangelical church. This downplays the religious connotation that the religious controversy in our country might have taken.”
The President further maintained that interfaith dialogue and mutual respect remain the most viable paths toward resolving the nation’s lingering security and social challenges.
He urged Nigerian bishops and clerical leaders to intensify their preachings on peace and tolerance, noting that the country cannot have an excess of that.
Reflecting on his governance history, President Tinubu recalled his deep and cordial relationship with the Catholic Church during his tenure as Governor of Lagos State.
He cited his pioneering policy of returning mission schools originally seized by military regimes back to religious institutions as proof of his enduring support for the Church’s massive contributions to Nigeria’s health, education, and humanitarian sectors.
The President also expressed immense historical pride in having personally led the official Nigerian delegation to the inauguration of Pope Leo XIV, praising the Pontiff’s global peace initiatives.
“We need his spiritual engagement, as millions around the world look up to him,” Tinubu stated, adding that he eagerly anticipates hosting the Pope on an official visit to Nigeria.
On national stability, President Tinubu assured the Vatican envoy that the Nigerian military has made substantial progress in securing formerly ungoverned spaces through enhanced surveillance and increased resource allocation.
He emphasized that the federal government is simultaneously scaling up economic investments in the youth demographic to insulate them from radicalization and terrorist exploitation.
Responding, Archbishop Gallagher explained that his diplomatic mission coincided with the landmark 50th anniversary of the establishment of bilateral relations between the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the Holy See.
Describing Nigeria as the strategic heart of Africa and home to a remarkably vibrant Catholic community, the Archbishop conveyed Pope Leo XIV’s personal gratitude for President Tinubu’s attendance at his papal inauguration.
Gallagher lauded the administration’s security initiatives, thanked the government for easing visa processes for international bishops, and confirmed that the Holy See looks forward to receiving Nigeria’s Ambassador to the Vatican in the coming weeks.