By Chesa Chesa
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to promoting interfaith dialogue, religious tolerance and peaceful coexistence, describing dialogue among faiths as the most effective path to addressing Nigeria’s security challenges.
The President made the remarks on Saturday while receiving Archbishop Paul R. Gallagher, the Vatican’s Secretary for Relations with States and International Organisations, at his residence in Abuja.
Archbishop Gallagher, who was accompanied by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Ojukwu, is in Nigeria to commemorate the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Nigeria and the Holy See.
Speaking during the audience, President Tinubu said his administration would continue to strengthen religious harmony and protect freedom of worship across the country.
He noted that he had maintained a long-standing cordial relationship with the Catholic Church dating back to his tenure as governor of Lagos State, where he prioritised the return of mission schools to their original religious owners after they had been taken over during military rule.
The President praised the Catholic Church’s contributions to education, healthcare and humanitarian services in Nigeria, describing them as invaluable to national development.
He also commended Pope Leo XIV for his global peace initiatives and recalled leading Nigeria’s delegation to the Pope’s inauguration.
“It was an honour for me to lead the Nigerian delegation to his inauguration as Pope Leo XIV. It was a moment of history. I see his 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,” Tinubu said.
The President urged Catholic bishops and other religious leaders to sustain their efforts in preaching peace and tolerance, stressing that Nigeria could never have “an excess” of such values.
Highlighting his administration’s commitment to religious freedom, Tinubu noted that his wife serves as a pastor in an evangelical church, saying this reflects the nation’s religious diversity and weakens attempts to politicise religious differences.
On security, the President assured the Vatican envoy that the Nigerian military had recorded significant gains against insecurity and remained committed to consolidating those achievements.
He said the government was increasing funding for security operations, expanding surveillance in previously ungoverned areas and investing in programmes aimed at empowering young people to prevent their recruitment by terrorist groups and reduce vulnerability to radicalisation.
In his remarks, Archbishop Gallagher described Nigeria as strategically important to the Catholic Church because of its vibrant Catholic population and commended the country’s bishops for their contributions to the Church across Africa.
He conveyed Pope Leo XIV’s appreciation to President Tinubu for attending his inauguration and praised the progress made by Veritas University, established by the Catholic community in Abuja.
The Archbishop also lauded the President’s efforts to promote peace through ongoing security initiatives and encouraged the government to sustain its commitment.
He expressed gratitude to the Nigerian government for facilitating visa issuance for Catholic bishops and for its continued cooperation with the Church.
Gallagher disclosed that he looked forward to receiving Nigeria’s ambassador to the Holy See in the coming weeks and expressed confidence that his current visit would be the first of many high-level engagements between Nigeria and the Vatican.
