Nigerian President Bola Tinubu met with Pope Leo XIV in Vatican City on Sunday, marking a significant moment in diplomatic and interfaith relations between Nigeria and the Holy See.
The meeting took place during Tinubu’s visit to Rome to attend the official installation of Pope Leo XIV, the 267th Bishop of Rome and newly elected leader of the Roman Catholic Church.
Tinubu arrived in Vatican City on Saturday at the invitation of the Pope. He was welcomed with a dinner hosted by His Eminence Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican’s Secretary of State. On Sunday, the Nigerian president joined other world leaders and dignitaries at a solemn Mass celebrating the start of Pope Leo XIV’s pontificate, following his election by the College of Cardinals after the death of Pope Francis on Easter Monday. 
The encounter underscores the growing relationship between Nigeria, Africa’s most populous nation, and the Vatican, with potential implications for interfaith dialogue and cooperation on global issues.
