Days After Criticizing His Administration, Catholic Bishops Hosted by Tinubu at Aso Rock

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Friday received a delegation of Catholic Bishops of Nigeria at the Presidential Villa in Abuja. The visit was confirmed in a statement by Sunday Dare, the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Public Communication, who also shared a video of the Bishops’ arrival on social media.

The delegation was led by Archbishop Lucius Iwejuru Ugorji, President of the Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) and Bishop of Owerri Archdiocese. Other prominent members included Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah and the Bishop Emeritus of Abuja Archdiocese, John Cardinal Onaiyekan.

The meeting comes shortly after the CBCN raised concerns over the worsening economic hardship and insecurity across the country. During its 2025 First Plenary Meeting at the Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria (CSN) in Abuja, the bishops lamented the growing number of families unable to afford three meals a day and the surge in food inflation, which they said is pushing more Nigerians into poverty.

In response, the presidency rejected the CBCN’s assessment. Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, stated that contrary to the bishops’ concerns, Nigeria is on the right path under the Tinubu administration.