President Bola Tinubu has appointed Senate President Dr. Godswill Akpabio to lead Nigeria’s official delegation to Vatican City for the funeral of His Holiness, Pope Francis, scheduled for Saturday, April 26.

Joining the delegation are Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu Ojukwu; Archbishop Lucius Iwejuru Ugorji, President of the Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria (CBCN); 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 at the Vatican.

During the visit, the delegation will deliver a formal letter from President Tinubu, expressing his condolences and sympathies to the Vatican’s Acting Head.

In a public message on Monday, President Tinubu joined Catholics and Christians around the world in mourning the Pope’s passing. He hailed Pope Francis as “a humble servant of God, a tireless advocate for the poor, and a spiritual guide to millions.”

Tinubu also reflected on the timing of the Pope’s death, noting that it followed shortly after Easter, calling it “a sacred return to his Maker at a moment of renewed Christian hope.

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