Billionaire businessman Femi Otedola has congratulated the newly elected Pope, Leo XIV, formerly Robert Prevost.
Otedola, who serves as the chancellor of Augustine University, took to Instagram on Friday to share a photograph of the pontiff during a 2016 visit to the Augustinian community in Abuja, Nigeria.
In his post, he honoured the Pope’s deep ties to the Augustinian Order, the religious tradition upon which the university is built.
He wrote, “As Chancellor of Augustine University Ilara, I, Femi Otedola CON, proudly congratulate our new Pope, Leo XIV — a faithful Augustinian, the very heritage our university is built on. His Holiness visited our Augustinian community in Abuja in 2016. May God guide him as he leads 1.5 billion Catholics worldwide. Long live the Pope!”
Pope Leo XIV’s election marks a historic milestone as the first pope from the Augustinian Order, a global Catholic religious order known for its emphasis on education, community and spiritual depth.
The order currently comprises about 2,800 Augustinians in 47 countries.
Augustine University, located in Ilara, Epe, Lagos State, is named after Saint Augustine of Hippo, a foundational figure in Catholic theology and the patron of the Augustinian Order.
The institution, affiliated with the Order of St. Augustine, has joined Catholic faithful worldwide in celebrating the new papacy.
The Pope’s ascension has also drawn congratulations from Nigerian leaders and religious institutions.
President Bola Tinubu praised the new pontiff’s legacy of service and expressed hope for continued collaboration between Nigeria and the Vatican on peace, education and interfaith dialogue.
The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) and the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) have also issued goodwill messages, describing Pope Leo XIV’s election as a moment of joy for the global Catholic community.
