Abuja, 06 July, 2026 / 4:08 PM
The President of Nigeria has hailed Pope Leo XIV’s efforts to foster peace across the world, expressing hope that the Holy Father will visit the West African country to foster “spiritual engagement”
Speakingduring an audiencewith the Secretary for Relations with States and International Organizations of the Holy See, ArchbishopPaul Richard Gallagher, on July 4, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu acknowledged that millions of people around the world look to Pope Leo XIV for hope and guidance
“I see his (Pope Leo XIV’s) 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,” President Tinubu said
Recalling his participation duringthe inauguration Massof Pope Leo XIV’s Petrine ministry, President Tinubu added, “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,” the President of Nigeria recalled during the meeting with the Vatican diplomat who arrived in the West African nation on July 2 for the 50th anniversary of the establishment of relations between Nigeria and the Holy See
During the July 4 audience at the President’s residence on July 4, President Tinubu reaffirmed the commitment by the Nigerian to promoting peaceful coexistence among people of different faiths, saying, “My administration will continue to work on religious harmony among all faiths.”
“Our Bishops and religious leaders have been doing a great deal. Let them continue to preach peace and tolerance. We cannot have an excess of that,” President Tinubu said, commending faith leaders in the country for their role in fostering harmony
According tothe 2026 Open Doors InternationalWorld Watch List, more Christians werekilled in Nigeriain the reporting period than in the rest of the world combined, placing the West African nation at the center of a growing global persecution crisis
The Netherlands-based international Christian mission that tracks global persecution and supports persecuted Christians worldwide reported that of the 4,849 Christians killed for their faith worldwide, 3,490 were in Nigeria, accounting for 72 percent of Christian Killings
Speaking at the report’s launch,Henrietta Blyth, CEO atOpen Doors UK & Ireland, said: “Nigeria is in sub-Saharan Africa, a region that represents a deathtrap for Christians,” while expressing relief that people are finally talking about what’s going on in the country
In recent months the situation in Nigeria has been back in the spotlight after U.S. President Donald Trumpthreatened to go “guns a-blazing”into the country and subsequently launched strikes on militants linked to the Islamic State group in the northwest of the country
While both the U.S. and Nigerian governments cooperated on the strikes, Trump has accused the Nigerian government of failing to protect Christians from jihadist attacks, with some allies and campaign figures describing the situation as a “genocide.”
The Nigerian government is reluctant to address the religious aspect for fear of being designated a “country of particular concern,” which could “enable the Trump administration and other international governments to take measures including an embargo,” an expert on sub-Saharan Africa for Open Doors
Asked how the U.K. government should respond to the situation, the U.K.’s special envoy for freedom of religion or belief, David Smith, told EWTN News: “We need to be critical friends. We need to be able to speak to our Nigerian counterparts, encouraging and enabling them to speak the truth. It’s a multilayered conflict in central Nigeria, with many causes, including religious persecution.”
Pope Leo XIVaddressed the Nigeria crisisin November 2025, acknowledging that “Christians and Muslims have been slaughtered” in the country. He told journalists at Castel Gandolfo that “many Christians have died” and called on the government to “promote authentic religious freedom.”
In his July 4 audience with Archbishop Gallagher, President Tinubu went on to acknowledge the Catholic Church’s contribution to Nigeria’s development through its investment in education, healthcare, and humanitarian initiatives
“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,” the President told the Vatican diplomat
The Nigerian leader further said his administration remains committed to guaranteeing freedom of worship, noting that religious diversity is reflected even within his own family
“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,” President Tinubu said during the event at the Presidential Villa in Abuja
Our mission is the truth. Join us!
Your monthly donation will help our team continue reporting the truth, with fairness, integrity, and fidelity to Jesus Christ and his Church
