Tinubu begins historic state visit to London, first by a Nigerian President in 37 years

Nigerian President Bola Tinubu will arrive in London on Tuesday for a landmark state visit hosted by King Charles III, marking the first official visit of a Nigerian head of state to the United Kingdom in nearly four decades.

The last Nigerian leader to pay a State Visit to the United Kingdom was General Ibrahim Babangida, who was hosted by Queen Elizabeth II in May 1989. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is set to break a 37-year gap with a state visit on March 18–19, 2026, hosted by King Charles III at Windsor Castle.

President Tinubu, accompanied by his wife, Oluremi Tinubu, will engage in a series of diplomatic, economic, and cultural events aimed at strengthening ties between the two nations, which maintain deep connections in trade, defence, and aid.

London is also home to one of the largest Nigerian diaspora communities in the world.

On Wednesday, Tinubu and the First Lady will be formally received by Prince William and Catherine, Princess of Wales. Later, King Charles III will host the president for a private audience at Windsor Castle, followed by a state banquet in the evening.

Thursday’s schedule includes meetings with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and representatives of the Nigerian community in the UK. The state visit comes on the heels of a reception hosted by King Charles last week for members of the Nigerian diaspora at St James’s Palace.

Analysts say the visit will focus on trade, infrastructure, security, and governance issues ahead of Nigeria’s 2027 presidential election.

“We have a good trading relationship with the UK, but if you look at the balance of trade, it has always been in the favour of the UK,” said Samuel Orovwuje, a member of the African Development Studies Centre.

Bilateral trade reached £8.1 billion ($11 billion) in the year to September 2025, an 11.4 percent increase year-on-year. Key projects include a $700 million rehabilitation of Apapa and Tin Can Island ports near Lagos, partially backed by UK Export Finance.

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The countries also concluded a strategic partnership in November 2024 to strengthen cooperation in economic, immigration, and security matters. Nigerian banks maintain subsidiaries in the UK, and both nations signed an economic cooperation agreement in early 2024 under the former Conservative government.

Security cooperation is another priority, following attacks in central Kwara that left more than 160 people dead amid ongoing jihadist insurgency in Nigeria. British and Nigerian defence authorities have discussed measures to strengthen collaboration in the fight against terrorism.

First Lady Oluremi Tinubu, a Christian pastor, is scheduled to preach at Lambeth Palace and meet representatives of the Church of England.

The visit coincides with tensions in the Anglican community, particularly following the appointment of Sarah Mullally as Archbishop of Canterbury, which has caused friction with conservative African Anglicans.

Notably, the official itinerary excludes meetings with the British opposition, including Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch, of Nigerian descent, who has publicly criticised Nigeria over corruption and security concerns.

Other historical and colonial issues remain in the background, including a Nigerian court ruling requiring the UK to pay £420 million to families of miners killed by colonial authorities in 1949, as well as ongoing debates over the restitution of looted cultural artefacts from institutions such as the British Museum.

This visit marks the first formal state visit by a Nigerian president to the UK in 37 years. President Tinubu was previously received by King Charles in September 2024, and the king, as Prince of Wales, visited Nigeria four times before ascending the throne following Queen Elizabeth II’s death in 2022.