President Bola Tinubu has reaffirmed his commitment to Project Nigeria, pledging to pursue national development, invest in young Nigerians and build a prosperous country following his rare spiritual privilege of entering the Holy Ka’abah in Makkah.
The president made the commitment on Monday while reflecting on his spiritual journey to Saudi Arabia for Umrah, during which he and members of his Nigerian delegation were granted access to pray inside the sacred site.
The privilege was granted by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, with Sheikh Dahlulah Muthawal of Masjid al-Haram leading the president into the Ka’abah.
Tinubu offered prayers of gratitude to Almighty Allah for the opportunity to serve as Nigeria’s president and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces.
He also thanked King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for granting him and members of the delegation the opportunity to enter the sacred site.
Describing the experience as a historic spiritual privilege, the president said the honour reflected the longstanding relationship between Nigeria and Saudi Arabia.
“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.
“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.
Tinubu said he prayed for wisdom and resilience to continue serving Nigerians, expressing confidence that his prayers had been answered.
“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,” the president said.
Reflecting on Surah Aal-Imran, Verse 26 of the Holy Qur’an, which speaks about Almighty Allah’s sovereignty and authority over power, Tinubu said leadership must be exercised with humility and responsibility.
He noted that positions of authority were temporary and that ultimate sovereignty belonged to Almighty Allah.
“There is no other God but Almighty Allah. He is the giver and the taker. He owns power and authority. He says, ‘ If I give you, use it well. If you don’t use it in accordance with my dictates, I can take it from you and give it to another person. I am the only One who has that authority,” the president said, quoting the words of the Qur’an.
The president said his faith had strengthened his conviction that his emergence as Nigeria’s leader was a divine blessing that must be matched with dedicated service.
“I have faith in that, and I believe extremely well that He has done me and my country a great favour. 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 stated.
Tinubu also reaffirmed his commitment to pursuing policies and programmes that would promote prosperity, national development and shared progress.
“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.
“It is important to put Allah first, then move on. Follow your conscience. Follow the right path that will lead Nigeria to that greatness,” the president said.
On the economy, Tinubu expressed optimism about the country’s progress under his administration, describing its economic foundation as solid and its recovery 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.
The president, however, stressed the need for sustained investment in young Nigerians, saying the decisions taken by current leaders would 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.
Tinubu reiterated that his administration would focus on strengthening the economy, expanding opportunities for young people and creating conditions for Nigerians to realise their potential.
He thanked Almighty Allah for the opportunity to lead the country and pledged to justify the confidence Nigerians had placed in him through purposeful leadership and continued national development.
Meanwhile, Minister of Justice Lateef Fagbemi, Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare Ali Pate, and governors of Borno, Sokoto, Jigawa, Kaduna, Yobe and Kwara States expressed gratitude to Allah and the president for the opportunity to enter and pray inside the Ka’abah.
Captains of industry, including BUA Chairman Abdul Samad Rabiu and Oando Chief Executive Officer Wale Tinubu, were also among those who expressed appreciation for the spiritual privilege.
Faridah Abdulkadiri
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