Nigeria’s Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, will head a delegation to Vatican City to attend the funeral of Pope Francis on Saturday, following his passing on April 21, 2025.
A statement issued on Friday by Bayo Onanuga, the presidential adviser on Information and Strategy, confirmed the formation of the five-member delegation, which was organized by President Bola Tinubu.
In addition to Akpabio, the delegation will include 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 Sokoto Diocese; and Archbishop Ignatius Ayua Kaigama of Abuja Diocese.
“Pope Francis, the revered head of the Roman Catholic Church, died on Monday, April 21, 2025, at the age of 88, just a day after participating in Easter Sunday celebrations at the Vatican,” the statement noted.
The delegation will deliver a formal letter from President Tinubu, expressing Nigeria’s sympathy and condolences to the Acting Head of the Vatican.
President Tinubu had earlier joined Catholics and Christians around the world in mourning the Pope’s passing, praising him as “a humble servant of God, a tireless champion of the poor, and a guiding light for millions.”
The President’s message also reflected on the Pope’s death occurring just after the resurrection celebrations, calling it a “sacred return to his Maker at a time of renewed hope for Christians.”
