By Otega Ogra
Nigeria and the Vatican share a rich, decades-long relationship rooted in diplomacy, faith, and shared values. As President Bola Tinubu joins world leaders in Rome for the inauguration of Pope Leo XIV, here are 10 fast facts about the ties between the world’s smallest state (The Vatican) and Africa’s largest Catholic powerhouse (Nigeria) that you should know:
- The Vatican is the smallest independent state in the world occupying an area within Rome, Italy, with just 44 hectares in size but it wields outsized global influence as the spiritual headquarters of over 1.38 billion Catholics worldwide.
- Nigeria is home to one of the largest Catholic populations in Africa, with over 30 million Catholics, around 9,500 priests (if not more), and hundreds of religious orders, making it a growing voice in the global Church.
- Diplomatic relations between Nigeria and the Vatican were formally established in 1971. Nigeria maintains an embassy to the Holy See; the Vatican operates an Apostolic Nunciature in Abuja.
- Pope John Paul II visited Nigeria twice, in 1982 and 1998, a rare distinction for an African nation, cementing Nigeria’s prominence in global Catholicism and making Nigeria one of the few African countries to host a Pope more than once.
- Pope Leo XIV, the new Pontiff, is no stranger to Nigeria. He served in the Apostolic Nunciature in Lagos during the 1980s and has spoken of his deep personal affection for the country.
- Nigeria has four living Cardinals, including:
- Francis Cardinal Arinze (born 1932): Prefect Emeritus of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments.
- Anthony Olubunmi Cardinal Okogie (born 1936): Archbishop Emeritus of Lagos.
- John Olorunfemi Cardinal Onaiyekan (born 1944): Archbishop Emeritus of Abuja.
- Peter Ebere Cardinal Okpaleke (born 1963): Bishop of Ekwulobia; created Cardinal in 2022. Cardinal Okpaleke is the only Nigerian Cardinal currently eligible to vote in a papal conclave, being under 80
- Nigerian prelates have held high-ranking roles in Rome. Cardinal Arinze, for example, once headed the Congregation for Divine Worship, making him one of the most senior African voices in the Vatican hierarchy.
- The Vatican and Nigeria’s Catholic institutions collaborate extensively on education, healthcare, and interfaith peacebuilding, with the Church running thousands of schools and hospitals across the country.
- President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s invitation to Pope Leo XIV’s inauguration signals Nigeria’s continued relevance in religious diplomacy and the strengthening of Nigeria–Vatican ties.
- As the world grapples with division, Nigeria’s presence in Rome this weekend is more than symbolic. It is a reminder that faith can still unify, and dialogue can still heal.
-Ogra is Senior Special Assistant to the President on Digital Communication
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