By Ayomide Otitoju
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has called on Nigerians to embrace the nation’s diversity as a strength for national unity and development, urging citizens and leaders to turn differences into opportunities for progress.
Speaking in Rome on Sunday during a meeting with members of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria (CBCN), Tinubu emphasized the importance of national cohesion.
“If we use our diversity not for adversity but for prosperity, the country’s hope is stability and progress,” Tinubu said.
The president addressed the bishops shortly after attending the installation mass of Pope Leo XIV at the Vatican, an event he described as a “historic” moment in a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga.
The Nigerian delegation included senior clerics who participated in both the burial of the late Pope Francis and the enthronement of his successor. CBCN President Archbishop Lucius Ugorji, along with Archbishops Ignatius Kaigama (Abuja), Alfred Martins (Lagos), and Bishop Matthew Kukah (Sokoto), were in attendance.
Archbishop Ugorji commended President Tinubu for facilitating the delegation’s visit and expressed hope for continued engagement with the presidency. “Now that you have come to the Vatican, whenever we have our conference in Nigeria, we will also invite you,” he said.
Earlier in the day, President Tinubu met with Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi and former Ekiti State Governor Kayode Fayemi at the Vatican service. He also exchanged greetings with Pope Leo XIV following the installation ceremony at St. Peter’s Square.
Other global dignitaries at the event included U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who also paid respects to the new pontiff.
Pope Leo XIV, born Cardinal Robert Prevost, was elected on May 8 as the 267th pope of the Roman Catholic Church. In his first address, the American-born pope called for renewed global efforts toward peace, environmental protection, and support for marginalized communities.
