The Holy Father, Pope Leo XIV, has appointed Nigeria’s vocal Prelate, Most Rev. Dr. Matthew Hassan Kukah, Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Sokoto, as a member of the Council of the Dicastery for Integral Human Development, Vatican City.
In a press release made available to Advocatus Africa, the Director of Communications of the Diocese of Sokoto, Fr. Pascal Salifu, disclosed that the good news is “contained in a letter addressed to Bishop Kukah by His Holiness Pope Leo XIV and signed by the Vatican Secretary of State, Peter Card. Parolin.”
Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah, with other northern Bishops, during the recent Ad Limina visit to Rome
Fr. Salifu detailed that “Bishop Kukah joins other prominent Cardinals, Archbishops and Bishops from all over the world to serve a five-year term on the Council. Other Members include the Cardinal Archbishop of Washington, His Eminence Cardinal Walter McElroy, Card. Matteo Zuppi of Bologna, Card. Conrad Krajewski of Poland, Archbishop Fulgence Mugalu of Lubumbashi, DRC.
“Bishop Kukah was first appointed to the Council in 2022 when it was reconstituted by Pope Francis. The Dicastery deals with the key thematic issues around the Catholic Church’s Social Teachings covering; The Environment, Human Rights, Migration, Human Development, Social Ethics among others.
“Prior to this appointment, Bishop Kukah was appointed by Pope John Paul II of blessed memory in 1996 and re-appointed by Pope Benedict XVI in 2005 to serve in the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue over a ten-year period.”
Appointed by Pope Francis to represent the Vatican on the Advisory Board of the King Abdulazeez International Council for Interreligious Dialogue (KAICIID) from 2018 to 2025, Kukah was part of the Vatican delegation to Qatar when that country opened diplomatic relations with the Vatican in 2005.
Reacting to the appointment, the 73-year-old Bishop stated that “He is humbled by the appointment.”
Kukah used the opportunity to express immense gratitude to the Vicar Christ for giving him the opportunity “to serve the Church.”
Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah was conferred with the award of Doctor of Letters in Literature on 7 February 2026 by the Federal University Oye-Ekiti, Ekiti State, Nigeria, in recognition of his “exemplary lifestyle as a leader in contemporary Nigeria with positive impacts on the lives of vast people.”
The Dicastery for Integral Human Development fits into Bishop Kukah’s “areas of research and pastoral interest and looks forward to contributing to helping to infuse the Catholic ethos into public life in a world that has become severely wounded by human greed.”
On the Council is also the Director of Health Services at the Catholic Secretariat, Dr. Emmanuel Okechukwu, who will serve alongside Priests, Religious, and the Laity, all of whom are expected to bring their expertise to the work of the Dicastery.
Director of Health Services at the Catholic Secretariat, Dr. Emmanuel Okechukwu also named on the Council
Dr. Okechukwu is a distinguished public health specialist, clinician and health policy expert with wide experience in implementing research.
