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President Bola Tinubu has thanked Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud for granting him the rare privilege to pray inside the Holy Ka’abah during his recent Umrah pilgrimage, the Nigerian presidency announced on Monday.
Tinubu, in a statement issued by presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga, described the experience as “historic” and a deeply cherished spiritual moment.
The president also noted the strong bilateral ties between Nigeria and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
He was led into the sacred site by Sheikh Dahlulah Muthawal of Masjid al-Haram.
“I want to say a big thank you for the faith, for the recognition. I can’t believe the fencing of the Ka’abah is in Green-White-Green, which reminds us of the Nigerian identity,” Tinubu said.
“I thank the Crown Prince and all the administrators of the holy land. I thank them for the hospitality and recognition given to me as the leader of the delegation and the country.
“We are all facing challenges and hostility around us. We will overcome them with faith in God Almighty. I’m grateful forever. I thank the King and the royal Crown Prince.
“It is an honour that I enjoyed, and it is gracious of them to have allowed me to enter inside the Ka’abah. This is history.”
The president said he prayed for wisdom and resilience to lead Nigeria, drawing a parallel to his pre-election visit in 2023.
“Well, I asked for wisdom and resilience to continue to serve the people. I know that prayer has been granted. Before the 2023 election, I did the same thing. I asked Allah to bless my Umrah then, and He did. And I promised that I would come back to thank Him,” he said.
On the nation’s economic outlook, President Tinubu expressed optimism about the progress made under his watch, describing the economic foundation as solid and the country’s emergence from a difficult period as encouraging.
“The foundation is solid, and the economy has come out of the dark tunnel. This is inspiring,” he said.
He maintained, however, that nation-building requires sustained investment in young Nigerians’ future, noting that today’s leaders’ decisions will determine how future generations remember them.
“We need to build a future for our youth. If we don’t invest in their future, how do we want to be remembered as leaders 50 years from now? That’s the main thing. So this is a rare privilege to lead the country,” the President added.
