President Bola Tinubu has arrived in Rome, Italy, to attend the inauguration of Pope Leo XIV, the newly elected head of the Roman Catholic Church.

The president touched down at the military airport in Rome on Saturday, ahead of a solemn mass marking the beginning of Pope Leo XIV’s Pontificate at the Vatican City on Sunday.

Tinubu’s visit comes at the invitation of the Vatican, following the election of Pope Leo XIV by the Conclave of Cardinals.

In a statement released earlier by the presidency, the invitation was said to have been personally extended by Cardinal Pietro Parolin on behalf of the Pope.

The letter from the Vatican described President Tinubu’s presence as “significant at this moment of particular importance for the Catholic Church and the world afflicted by many tensions and conflicts.”

Pope Leo XIV, in his message to Tinubu, fondly recalled his time in Lagos during the 1980s when he served at the Apostolic Nunciature, saying, “Your great nation is particularly dear to me.”

Accompanying the president on this high-profile visit are top Nigerian officials including minister of state for foreign affairs, Bianca Ojukwu; archbishop Lucius Ugorji, president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria; archbishop Ignatius Kaigama of the Abuja Archdiocese and archbishop Alfred Martins of the Lagos Archdiocese.

The event in Rome is expected to draw world leaders, diplomats and religious figures from across the globe, as Pope Leo XIV formally assumes the role of the 267th Bishop of Rome and spiritual leader of over 1.3 billion Catholics worldwide.