President Bola Tinubu emerged from a rare visit inside Islam’s holiest site with a message of faith and renewed commitment to press ahead with his reform programmes to stabilize and rebuild the country.
Speaking after performing Umrah in Saudi Arabia, President Tinubu thanked King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for allowing him to lead Nigeria’s delegation in prayer inside the Ka’bah, the cube-shaped structure at the center of Masjid al-Haram in Makkah.
He described the access as a historic and deeply personal honor.
“I asked for wisdom and resilience to continue to serve the people. I know that prayer has been granted,” the President said.
The President described the visit as both a religious obligation fulfilled and a political renewal.
He said he had prayed before the 2023 general election and promised to return in gratitude if he won – a pledge he said he had now kept.
At the Ka’bah, President Tinubu offered prayers of thanks for his role as Nigeria’s President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces.
In a statement, Special Adviser on Information and Strategy to the President Bayo Onanuga said Sheikh Dahlulah Muthawal of Masjid al-Haram led him into the structure.
President Tinubu said the green, white and green fencing around the Ka’bah recalled Nigeria’s national colors, calling the coincidence a reminder of Nigerian identity.
He thanked Saudi authorities for the hospitality extended to him and his delegation.
“It is an honour that I enjoyed, and it is gracious of them to have allowed me to enter inside the Ka’bah. This is history,” he said.
The President invoked Surah Aal-Imran, Verse 26 of the Quran, which affirms that sovereignty belongs to God, who grants and withdraws authority as He wills.
President Tinubu said the passage reinforced his view that public office is a temporary trust to be exercised with humility and in the interest of citizens.
“He owns power and authority. If I give you, use it well,” Tinubu added.
He described his emergence as Nigeria’s leader as an extraordinary blessing and said his faith had strengthened his conviction that the mandate required dedicated service.
“Out of many millions of people, to be the President and Commander-in-Chief is a favour that only Almighty God can do to a human being,” he said.
Tinubu said the experience had deepened his commitment to what his administration calls Project Nigeria: an agenda centered on economic recovery, national development and expanded opportunity for young people.
“My commitment to Project Nigeria is higher. I am determined to usher in prosperity and fully develop the country, consistent with the wish of Allah and the support of the people,” the President noted.
The President struck an optimistic note on the economy, saying the country had emerged from a “dark tunnel” and that its foundation was now solid.
He offered no new policy measures, but said his government would continue strengthening economic fundamentals and creating conditions for Nigerians to realize their potential.
He also described the country’s challenges in generational terms. “We need to build a future for our youth,” Tinubu said.
“If we don’t invest in their future, how do we want to be remembered as leaders 50 years from now?”
Several senior government officials and business leaders joined the President in Makkah, including Attorney-General Lateef Fagbemi; Health Minister Ali Pate; the Governors of Borno, Sokoto, Jigawa, Kaduna, Yobe and Kwara states; BUA Group Chairman Abdulsamad Rabiu; and Oando Chief Executive Wale Tinubu.
They expressed gratitude for the opportunity to pray alongside the president in one of Islam’s most sacred spaces.
