President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has reaffirmed his commitment to Nigeria, expressing confidence that Almighty Allah has answered his prayer for the opportunity to continue serving the country.

The President made this known on Monday while reflecting on his spiritual journey to Saudi Arabia to perform Umrah, during which he was granted the rare privilege of entering the Holy Ka'abah in Makkah to offer prayers.

The opportunity was facilitated by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, while Sheikh Dahlulah Muthawal of Masjid al-Haram led the President into the sacred structure.

Tinubu expressed gratitude to King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for extending the privilege to him and members of his Nigerian delegation, describing the experience as historic and deeply cherished.

Speaking after the spiritual exercise, the President said he prayed for wisdom and resilience to continue serving Nigerians, expressing confidence that his request had been granted.

“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,” he said.

He also expressed appreciation for the hospitality and recognition accorded to him and his delegation by the Saudi authorities, noting that the experience had strengthened his faith.

Reflecting on the message in Surah Aal-Imran, Verse 26 of the Holy Qur'an, which affirms that Almighty Allah is the ultimate owner of sovereignty and grants power to whom He wills, the President emphasised that political authority is a trust that must be exercised with humility, responsibility and dedication to public service.

“There is no other God but Almighty Allah. He is the giver and the taker. He owns power and authority. He says, ‘If I give you, use it well. If you don't use it in accordance with my dictates, I can take it from you and give it to another person. I am the only One who has that authority,’” Tinubu said.

The President described his emergence as Nigeria's leader as a special blessing from Allah, which he said must be matched with dedicated service to the country.

“I have faith in that, and I believe extremely well that He has done me and my country a great favour. 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 stated.

Reaffirming his commitment to national development, Tinubu said he remained determined to pursue policies and programmes aimed at promoting prosperity, economic growth and shared progress.

“My commitment to Project Nigeria is higher. I am determined to usher in prosperity and fully develop the country, consistent with the wish of Allah and the support of the people,” he said.

On the nation's economic outlook, the President expressed optimism about the progress recorded under his administration, describing the country's economic foundation as solid and its 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.

Tinubu further stressed the need to invest in the future of young Nigerians, noting that decisions taken by present-day leaders would shape how they would be remembered by generations to come.

“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.