Tinubu, Rabiu enter Holy Kaaba in Makkah, pray for Nigeria

President Bola Tinubu and billionaire industrialist Abdul Samad Rabiu were among a Nigerian delegation granted access to the Holy Kaaba in Makkah, Saudi Arabia, during Umrah, the lesser Hajj.

The Kaaba's door is opened only a few times a year, and only for dignitaries and special guests approved by the Saudi Royal Court. For Nigerian Muslims, the chance to pray inside is a rare privilege.

Tinubu performed Umrah rites on Friday at the Grand Mosque, Masjid al-Haram, circling the Kaaba and praying for Nigeria's peace, unity, stability and economic prosperity, according to the presidency.

In a statement on Monday by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, the President said he asked Allah for wisdom and resilience to keep serving Nigerians.

"Well, I asked for wisdom and resilience to continue to serve the people. I know that prayer has been granted," Tinubu said.

He said he had also performed Umrah before the 2023 presidential election and promised to return in thanksgiving. He thanked King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for allowing him and his delegation into the Kaaba, calling it a sign of the friendship between Nigeria and Saudi Arabia.

Tinubu also spoke about leadership, saying power belongs to Allah, who can give it to anyone or take it away. He referred to Surah Aal-Imran, Verse 26 of the Qur'an, and said authority should be used responsibly and with humility. He described his emergence as President from among millions of Nigerians as a divine favour that requires dedicated service.

On the economy, Tinubu said the country's foundations had grown stronger, and he stressed the need to invest in young Nigerians, arguing that opportunities created for them would shape how future generations remember this leadership.

Rabiu: 'honour beyond measure'

Rabiu, Chairman of BUA Group, wrote on Facebook on Sunday night that entering the Kaaba with the President was a blessing that words could not capture.

"It was a once-in-a-lifetime blessing, an honour beyond measure," he wrote.

He said his prayers inside the sacred place were for Nigeria as well as for himself and his family, asking Allah to grant the country lasting peace, unity and prosperity.

At a dinner in Makkah on Saturday for the delegation, Rabiu pledged the continued support of the business community for the administration and thanked the President for the spiritual privilege. Tinubu, at the same dinner, prayed that Nigeria's diversity would bring prosperity and development.

The delegation included Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice Lateef Fagbemi; Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare Ali Pate; governors of Borno, Sokoto, Jigawa, Kaduna, Yobe and Kwara states; and Oando Group Chief Executive Wale Tinubu.

The President is expected back in Nigeria this week.