….I Asked for Wisdom, Resilience to Serve Nigerians
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has reaffirmed his commitment to Project Nigeria and his determination to build a prosperous nation, invest in the future of young Nigerians, and pursue development in line with the will of Almighty Allah and the people’s aspirations.
This was contained in a State House press release issued by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, on November 2, 2026.
The President stated this on Monday while reflecting on his spiritual journey to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to perform Umrah, during which the Custodian of the Holy Mosques of Makkah and Madinah, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, granted him a rare privilege of leading Nigeria’s delegation to pray inside the Holy Ka’abah.
At the Ka’abah, President Tinubu offered prayers of gratitude to Almighty Allah for the privilege of serving as Nigeria’s President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces.
Sheikh Dahlulah Muthawal of Masjid al-Haram led the President into the Ka’abah.
President Tinubu thanked the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, for granting him and members of his Nigerian delegation the opportunity to enter the Holy Ka’abah in Makkah and offer prayers to Almighty Allah.
The President described the honour as a historic and deeply cherished spiritual experience, reflecting the longstanding bonds of friendship, mutual respect and cooperation between Nigeria and the Kingdom of 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.
President Tinubu said he asked Allah for wisdom and resilience to continue serving Nigerians, and expressed confidence that his prayers have 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.
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.
Apparently seized by emotions, Minister of Justice Lateef Fagbemi SAN, Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare Ali Pate, Governors of Borno, Sokoto, Jigawa, Kaduna, Yobe and Kwara States as well as captains of industry, including Chairman of BUA Abdulsamad Isiaka Rabiu and CEO of Oando Wale Tinubu, expressed gratitude to Allah and the President for allowing them to enter and pray with him in the most holy mosque and sacred ground in Islam.
