President Bola Tinubu will embark on a two-day state visit to the United Kingdom beginning March 18, Buckingham Palace has confirmed.
In a statement issued on Saturday, the royal communications team said the visit was extended at the invitation of King Charles. The president will be accompanied by his wife, Oluremi Tinubu.
The trip marks the first state visit to the UK by a Nigerian leader in 37 years. Nigeria’s previous state visits to Britain were by Yakubu Gowon in 1973, Shehu Shagari in 1981, and Ibrahim Babangida in 1989.
King Charles, who was then Prince of Wales, has visited Nigeria several times — in 1990, 1999, 2006 and 2018.
Although historic, the upcoming visit will not be the first engagement between Tinubu and the British monarch since both assumed office in May 2023. The two leaders met in November 2023 ahead of the 28th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28) in Dubai, a meeting Tinubu described as an important step toward deepening bilateral relations.
In September 2024, King Charles also hosted the Nigerian president for a private audience at Buckingham Palace. According to Bayo Onanuga, Tinubu’s spokesperson, the discussions centred on global and regional issues, with particular emphasis on climate change.
Buckingham Palace said more details regarding the programme of events for the state visit will be released in due course.
