09/05/2025
Otedola Congratulates Pope Leo, Shares Photo Of His Visit To Nigeria | TV
Leo was elected the first pope from the United States in the 2,000-year history of the Catholic Church.
Updated May 9, 2025
Before emerging as head of the Roman Catholic Church, Pope Leo XIV, then known as Cardinal Robert Prevost, already had a connection with Nigeria.
Nine years before ascending to the papacy, precisely in 2016, the then-Cardinal paid a visit to the Augustinian community in Nigeria, specifically in Abuja.
His visit, though ceremonial, was to commission key development projects, leaving a legacy that still resonates with the faithful in the region.
That gesture is now being celebrated by billionaire businessman and the Chancellor of Augustine University Ilara, Lagos, Femi Otedola, CON.
In a heartfelt message shared on Instagram, Otedola congratulated the new Pontiff, noting the deep ties between the Pope’s Augustinian roots and the university’s heritage.
He hailed the newly elected Pope, Leo XIV, formerly Robert Cardinal Prevost, on his historic emergence as the 267th pontiff.
“On behalf of the Board of Trustees, Governing Council, and Management of Augustine University Ilara, Epe, Lagos State, I, Femi Otedola CON, Chancellor, proudly congratulate our new Pope, Leo XIV , a devoted Augustinian Priest from whom our University draws its name and heritage,” he stated.
On behalf of the Board of Trustees, Governing Council, and Management of Augustine University Ilara, Epe, Lagos State, I, Femi Otedola CON, Chancellor, proudly congratulate our new Pope, Leo XIV , a devoted Augustinian Priest from whom our University draws its name and… pic.twitter.com/KdZumhiXKM
— Femi Ote$ () May 9, 2025
“We are especially proud that His Holiness visited the Augustinian community in Abuja in 2016, where he commissioned key projects,” the businessman added.
“We pray for God’s guidance as he undertakes the sacred responsibility of leading 1.5 billion Catholics around the world.”
After that visit almost a decade ago, the now-Catholic leader posted a photo of himself with Catholic leaders, some believed to have accompanied him from abroad, while others were Nigerian clergy dressed in black and white cassocks.
“For the first time, General Chapter of the Order of St. Augustine on the African continent — Abuja, Nigeria,” the cleric’s post, dated September 29, 2016, and translated from Spanish to English, reads.
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