The Vatican has hinted at the possibility of Pope Leo XIV making an official visit to Nigeria in the coming years, raising hopes among the country’s Catholic faithful.
The indication came on Saturday from the Vatican’s Secretary for Relations with States and International Organisations, Archbishop Paul Gallagher, after a meeting with President Bola Tinubu at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.
Speaking with journalists after the meeting, Gallagher said although there were no immediate plans for such a visit, the prospect remained open.
“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,” he said.
Gallagher’s remarks come against the backdrop of Pope Leo XIV’s long-standing ties with Nigeria. Before his election as head of the Roman Catholic Church in May 2025, the Pontiff—then Father Robert Francis Prevost—visited Nigeria on numerous occasions in his capacity as Prior General of the Augustinian Order and later as Prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops.
Church records indicate that between 2001 and 2016, he made at least nine visits to the country, travelling to cities including Lagos, Jos, Benin, Bida, Ibusa, Iwaro Oka-Akoko, Kano, Warri, Kaduna and Abuja for pastoral engagements and church-related activities.
In April 2026, Pope Leo XIV embarked on his first apostolic visit to Africa as Pontiff, undertaking a 10-day tour that included Algeria, Cameroon, Angola and Equatorial Guinea.
