NIGERIA: Tinubu Set for Historic UK State Visit After 37-Year Gap

By Ameenat Hamzat, Lagos, Nigeria 

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu will undertake a two-day state visit to the United Kingdom beginning March 18, marking the first such visit by a Nigerian leader in 37 years, Buckingham Palace has announced.

In a statement issued by the royal communications office, the visit was confirmed to be at the invitation of King Charles III. The president will be accompanied by First Lady Oluremi Tinubu.

The upcoming trip represents a significant diplomatic engagement between Nigeria and the United Kingdom, reviving a tradition of formal state visits that has been dormant for decades.

The last Nigerian heads of state to embark on official state visits to the UK were Yakubu Gowon in 1973, Shehu Shagari in 1981, and Ibrahim Babangida in 1989.

Although this will be Tinubu’s first state visit to Britain as president, it is not his first engagement with King Charles. Both leaders, who assumed office in May 2023, have met on several occasions. Tinubu met the British monarch in November 2023 on the sidelines of the United Nations climate conference in Dubai, where discussions focused on strengthening bilateral cooperation.

A subsequent private meeting took place at Buckingham Palace in September 2024, during which global and regional issues, including climate change, were discussed.

The palace noted that further details regarding the schedule and ceremonial programme for the visit will be announced in due course.

Observers say the visit underscores renewed diplomatic engagement between Abuja and London, with expectations that discussions may reinforce cooperation in areas of shared interest, including climate policy, trade, and glob

al partnerships.