By Juliet Aliwo.
President Bola Tinubu has dispatched a high-powered delegation to Vatican City to attend the burial of His Holiness, Pope Francis, scheduled for Saturday, April 26.
According to a statement issued on Friday by the President’s spokesman, Bayo Onanuga, Senate President Godswill Akpabio will head the five-member Nigerian delegation.
The delegation includes the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu; Archbishop Lucius Iwejuru Ugorji, President of the Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria (CBCN); Archbishop Matthew Hassan Kukah of Sokoto Diocese; and Archbishop Ignatius Ayua Kaigama of Abuja Diocese.
Pope Francis, the revered head of the Roman Catholic Church, passed away on Monday, April 21, 2025, at the age of 88, just one day after leading the Easter Sunday celebrations at the Vatican.
The Nigerian delegation is expected to formally deliver a letter from President Tinubu conveying Nigeria’s sympathy and condolences to the Acting Head of the Vatican.
On Monday, President Tinubu joined Catholic faithful and Christians worldwide in mourning the death of Pope Francis, describing him as “a humble servant of God, a tireless champion of the poor, and a guiding light for millions.”
In his condolence message, President Tinubu remarked that the Pope’s passing, occurring shortly after the celebration of Christ’s resurrection, symbolized a sacred return to his Maker at a moment of renewed hope for Christians globally.
