Secretary for Relations with States and International Organisations at the Holy See, Cardinal Carlo Maria Gallagher, has disclosed that Pope Leo XIV could visit Nigeria in the coming years following talks with President Bola Tinubu at the Presidential Villa, Abuja on Saturday.
Gallagher, who serves as the Vatican’s foreign minister, made the disclosure while speaking with Newsmen saying a future papal visit remained a possibility.
“We have had a constant presence of the Nuncio over the years and visits from several of the Holy Fathers, and who knows, maybe in a few years’ time Pope Leo will come to visit Nigeria as well. But that’s all for the future,” Gallagher said.
Before his election as Pope in May 2025, Pope Leo XIV, formerly Father Robert Francis Prevost, visited Nigeria nine times in his capacity as Prior General of the Augustinian Order and later as Prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops. His visits between 2001 and 2016 took him to Lagos, Jos, Benin, Bida, Ibusa, Iwaro Oka-Akoko, Kano, Warri, Kaduna and Abuja.
Although the Pontiff embarked on his first apostolic visit to Africa in April 2026, touring Algeria, Cameroon, Angola and Equatorial Guinea, Nigeria was not included in the itinerary despite being home to more than 30 million Catholics, over 10,000 Catholic priests and the largest number of Catholic archbishops on the continent.
Gallagher said his discussions with Tinubu reflected the strong diplomatic ties between Nigeria and the Holy See, noting that the recent appointment of Paul Adikwu as Nigeria’s ambassador-designate to the Vatican further demonstrated the healthy relationship between both states.
“The President has graciously received me this evening. We had a very nice meeting, a very good meeting. The relationship is very strong and very healthy, and I was just mentioning that now Nigeria is sending a new ambassador to the Vatican, who is arriving in these days,” he said.
He explained that his visit formed part of activities marking the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Nigeria and the Holy See, as well as engagements with the Nigerian government and the local Catholic Church.
Vatican Diplomat discloses possible Papal visit to Nigeria
Minister of Foreign Affairs Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, who also attended the meeting, described Gallagher’s visit as significant, citing Nigeria’s large Catholic population and the longstanding ties between both countries.
“We have over 30 million Catholics in Nigeria. We have over 10,000 priests, and Nigeria has the largest number of Catholic bishops in the African continent. So the visit of Archbishop Gallagher, who is the Secretary for Relations with States and International Organisations, is very, very significant on this 50th anniversary of our bilateral relations with the Holy See,” she said.
Odumegwu-Ojukwu recalled that diplomatic relations between Nigeria and the Holy See began in 1976, while Nigeria established its permanent mission to the Vatican in 2012.
She also highlighted the Catholic Church’s contributions to Nigeria beyond religious activities, particularly in education, healthcare, humanitarian services, interfaith dialogue and peacebuilding.
“The Catholic Church is hugely impactful in Nigeria, and the number of educational institutions, healthcare institutions, its commitment to promoting interfaith dialogue, its assistance with Nigerian organisations in humanitarian responses, its dedication to peace and stability, not just for Nigeria but for the African continent and the world, are profound,” the minister said.
