Nigeria, April 1 -- Pope Leo IV has appointed the Bishop of the Diocese of Sokoto, Hassan Kukah, as a Member of the Council of the Dicastery for Integral Human Development, Vatican City.

A statement by Pascal Salifu, a priest and director of communications, Diocese of Sokoto, on Tuesday, said Mr Kukah was notified of his appointment in a letter addressed to him by the Pope.

The letter was signed by the Vatican Secretary of State, Cardinal Peter Parolin, according to the statement.

By his appointment, Mr Kukah "joins other prominent Cardinals, Archbishops and Bishops from all over the world to serve a five-year term on the Council," the statement said.

The Dicastery deals with the key thematic issues around the Catholic Church's Social...