Buckingham Palace has announced that President Bola Tinubu will undertake a two-day state visit to the United Kingdom on March 18, at the invitation of King Charles III.
This will mark the first visit of its kind by a Nigerian president in 37 years.
President Tinubu will be accompanied by the First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, for the official engagements.
The visit signifies a major diplomatic re-engagement between the two Commonwealth nations at the highest level.
The last Nigerian leader to be received on a UK state visit was former Military President Ibrahim Babangida in 1989. The only other state visits were by President Shehu Shagari in 1981 and Head of State Yakubu Gowon in 1973.
This will not be the first meeting between the two heads of state, both of whom assumed their offices in May 2023. President Tinubu previously met with King Charles ahead of the COP28 climate summit in Dubai in November 2023.
The monarch also hosted the Nigerian President for a private audience at Buckingham Palace in September 2024, where discussions reportedly centred on climate change and regional matters.
A statement from the Royal Communications team confirmed the visit, noting that further details of the programme would be announced in due course.
Bayo Onanuga, the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, stated that the visit underscores the enduring partnership and shared priorities between Nigeria and the United Kingdom, particularly in tackling global challenges.
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