Author: Gist Correspondent

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

The last Nigerian state visit to the UK was in 1989, when the then Military President, General Ibrahim Babangida, was hosted for four days by the late Queen Elizabeth II.

In a statement issued on Saturday, the royal communications team said the visit is at the invitation of King Charles III. President Tinubu will be accompanied by his wife, the First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu.

The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) describes state visits as a key element of soft-power diplomacy, combining royal pageantry with strategic efforts to strengthen relations with important international partners.

President Tinubu and King Charles III, who both assumed office in May 2023, have met on several occasions. In November 2023, Tinubu met the monarch ahead of the 28th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28) in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, an engagement the Nigerian president described as a significant step toward deepening bilateral ties. The King also received Tinubu for a private meeting at Buckingham Palace in September 2024.

Although the specific agenda and programme of events for the March 18 visit have not been disclosed, Buckingham Palace said further details would be released in due course.

King Charles III has longstanding personal and institutional ties to Nigeria and has often expressed admiration for Pidgin English and Afrobeats music. Before ascending the throne, he visited Nigeria four times—in 1990, 1999, 2006 and 2018—as the Prince of Wales. His wife, Queen Camilla, then Duchess of Cornwall, accompanied him on the 2018 visit.

In 2023, the King’s Trust International, formerly known as the Prince’s Trust, was officially launched in Nigeria, unveiling initiatives aimed at tackling youth unemployment across the country.