Senate President Godswill Akpabio will head Nigeria’s delegation to Vatican City for the burial of Pope Francis, scheduled for Saturday.
In a statement released on Friday, Presidential Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, announced that the five-member delegation was appointed by President Bola Tinubu.
Joining Akpabio are Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu Ojukwu; Archbishop Lucius Iwejuru Ugorji, President of the Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria; Archbishop Matthew Hassan Kukah of the Sokoto Diocese; and Archbishop Ignatius Ayua Kaigama of the Abuja Diocese.
Pope Francis, the globally respected leader of the Roman Catholic Church, passed away on Monday, April 21, 2025, at the age of 88, just a day after participating in Easter Sunday celebrations.
Onanuga stated that the delegation will deliver a formal letter from President Tinubu expressing condolences to the Acting Head of the Vatican.
Earlier in the week, President Tinubu joined Catholics and Christians around the world in mourning Pope Francis, describing him as “a humble servant of God, a tireless champion of the poor, and a guiding light for millions.”
He noted that the Pope’s passing shortly after Easter represents a sacred return to his Creator at a time of renewed hope.