President Bola Tinubu has urged Nigerians to treat the country’s ethnic, religious and regional diversity as an asset.
The President said citizens must use diversity to advance national development, peace, and security.
The President stated this while speaking with journalists in Makkah, Saudi Arabia, during his pilgrimage to perform Umrah, also known as the Lesser Hajj.
He said
“Our strength is our diversity, and we continue to build on that for the prospect and security of the country.”
President Tinubu was the Grand Mosque, Masjid al-Haram.
The President’s remarks comes as he performed the Islamic pilgrimage, circling the Kaaba in worship and thanksgiving.
Tinubu said he prayed for unity, stability and an end to Nigeria’s persistent security challenges.
“I am grateful to Allah for being able to perform this Umrah,” President Tinubu said.
“We have just prayed for our nation, for everyone to live in peace and harmony, happiness and faith in God Almighty.”
The President said Nigerians should draw on shared aspirations to build a more secure and prosperous country, adding that the pilgrimage offered an opportunity for spiritual renewal.
“We are giving it to our minds and our spirits in every way possible,” he said.
The President reaffirmed his administration’s pledge to build a peaceful, united and prosperous Nigeria in which citizens of all faiths and backgrounds can live with safety and dignity.
He expressed hope that the country would continue to make progress toward economic prosperity and social development.
Tinubu arrived in Saudi Arabia on Thursday night at King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah, where he was received by Nigeria’s ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Yakubu Gambo, and Saudi Arabia’s head of royal protocol, Ahmad bin Thafir.
He was accompanied in Makkah by several senior officials, including the governors of Niger, Bauchi and Katsina states and Budget and Economic Planning Minister Abubakar Atiku Bagudu.
The President is expected to return to Nigeria next week after completing the pilgrimage.
