President Bola Tinubu said Saturday that interfaith dialogue remains the only sustainable path to addressing Nigeria's security challenges and strengthening national unity, speaking while receiving Archbishop Paul R. Gallagher, the Holy See's Secretary for Relations with States and International Organisations, at his residence in Abuja. Gallagher was accompanied by Minister of Foreign Affairs Bianca Ojukwu, and the meeting was disclosed in a statement by presidential spokesperson Bayo Onanuga. Tinubu told the Archbishop he has maintained a long and cordial relationship with the Catholic Church, especially during his time as governor of Lagos, and said he strongly supports the Church's contributions to education and health. The president said this belief led him to prioritize returning mission schools to religious institutions as soon as he became governor, schools that had been taken over during previous military administrations. Tinubu credited bishops and other religious leaders with playing a vital role in fostering peaceful coexistence and urged them to sustain their efforts in preaching tolerance, stressing that the country could never have "an excess" of peace and understanding. Tinubu also reaffirmed his administration's commitment to guaranteeing freedom of worship for all Nigerians, noting that his own family's religious background reflects the country's tradition of religious tolerance β€” a reference to his wife's role as a pastor at an evangelical church. He also praised Pope Leo XIV, saying it was an honour to lead Nigeria's delegation to the Pope's inauguration and describing the pontiff's efforts to promote world peace as being felt around the globe, adding that he looks forward to receiving him in Nigeria. Tinubu assured his guest that the Nigerian military has made significant progress recently and remains committed to sustaining these gains, acknowledging that a single incident could undermine previous progress. He said more resources are being allocated to security, with intensified surveillance particularly in previously ungoverned areas, and assured the Archbishop that the government is also investing in youth programmes to prevent their exploitation by terrorists and reduce vulnerability to radicalisation. In his remarks, Archbishop Gallagher said he was in Nigeria for the 50th anniversary of the establishment of relations between Nigeria and the Holy See, describing the country as strategically important to the Catholic Church given its vibrant Catholic community. He also praised the steady growth of Veritas University in Abuja and commended the president's efforts to promote peace through ongoing military operations, encouraging the government to sustain its commitment to restoring stability nationwide. He further thanked the Nigerian government for facilitating visa processing for Catholic bishops and for its responsiveness to the Church's needs, and informed Tinubu that he looks forward to receiving Nigeria's ambassador to the Holy See in the coming weeks, assuring him this visit would be the first of several planned engagements from the Vatican.