Tinubu prays inside Ka'bah as barriers in Nigerian colours ring Islam's holiest site
- President Bola Tinubu entered the Holy Ka'bah in Makkah during Umrah, his spokesman Bayo Onanuga said.
- Barriers painted green-white-green, Nigeria's national colours, were placed around the Ka'bah for the visit.
- Tinubu thanked Saudi authorities and said he prayed for wisdom to keep serving Nigeria.
Barriers in Nigeria's green-white-green colours were put up around the Holy Ka'bah in Makkah on Monday, as President Bola Tinubu visited the site during Umrah, the lesser Hajj.
The president was granted the rare privilege of entering the Ka'bah to pray, and he was pictured kissing the Black Stone, the Hajar al-Aswad, which pilgrims approach during Tawaf, the seven rounds they walk around the Ka'bah.
Umrah is a Muslim act of worship carried out in Makkah. It involves visiting the Grand Mosque, which houses the Ka'bah, and performing set rites. It does not replace the Hajj.
Pictures of the coloured barriers were shared online by Inside The Haramain, an outlet that reports on the Two Holy Mosques, and by other accounts. The green-white-green is the same pattern as Nigeria's flag.
What Tinubu said
In a statement, Onanuga said the president thanked King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for letting him and his delegation into the sacred site.
Tinubu said the fencing of the Ka'bah in Nigerian colours reminded him of the country's identity. "I can't believe the fencing of the Ka'abah is in Green-White-Green," he said, thanking the Saudi authorities for what he called a historic privilege.
He described the chance to pray inside the Ka'bah as a rare spiritual privilege, and said he prayed for the strength to keep serving Nigerians. He recalled making a similar prayer before the 2023 election and said he had promised to return to give thanks.
"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 said.
He was accompanied by several state governors, including Kwara's Abdulrahman AbdulRazaq, who chairs the Nigerian Governors' Forum, and the governors of Borno, Sokoto, Jigawa, Kaduna and Yobe. Others in the delegation were Attorney-General Lateef Fagbemi, Health Minister Prof. Mohammed Pate, BUA Group chairman Abdulsamad Rabiu and Oando chief executive Wale Tinubu.
Why it matters
For many Nigerian Muslims, the Ka'bah is the centre of their faith, and a president praying there draws wide attention at home. The visit also highlights the close ties between Abuja and Riyadh, which matter for Nigerians who travel to Saudi Arabia for Umrah and Hajj each year.
