President Bola Ahned Tinubu has called on Nigerians to use their diversity as a tool for unity and national development.
Gatekeepers News reports that speaking in Rome on Sunday during a meeting with members of Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria, Tinubu called for collective efforts to promote peace and progress across the country.
The Catholic bishops were in Rome as part of Tinubu’s delegation to attend the inauguration mass of Pope Leo XIV.
According to a statement by Bayo Onanuga, his special adviser on information and strategy, the president said the nation’s ethnic and cultural diversity should be seen as a strength, not a source of division.
Tinubu said, “If we use our diversity not for adversity but for prosperity, the country’s hope is stability and progress.”
He also urged leaders at all levels to remain committed to improving the lives of all citizens.
Tinubu said it was historic to be the president of Nigeria when a new pope was inaugurated in Rome.
Archbishop Lucius Ugorji of Owerri, who also serves as president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria, expressed gratitude to the president for enabling their participation in both the burial of Pope Francis and inauguration of Pope Leo XIV.
He said, “You are always there for us. Now that you have come to the Vatican, whenever we have our conference in Nigeria, we will also invite you, and we look forward to interfacing with you just as you were able to do with the Holy Father.”
