UK Awaits Tinubu As He Starts Two-Day State Visit

According to Ireporter Online, President Bola Tinubu is scheduled to embark on a two-day state visit to the United Kingdom on March 18, Buckingham Palace announced on Saturday. The visit, requested by King Charles III, will see the President accompanied by his wife, Senator Oluremi Tinubu.

The trip will mark the first state visit to the UK by a Nigerian leader in 37 years, following visits by Yakubu Gowon in 1973, Shehu Shagari in 1981, and Ibrahim Babangida in 1989. King Charles, who previously visited Nigeria in 1990, 1999, 2006, and 2018 as Prince of Wales, will host the President during this historic visit.

While this will be President Tinubu’s first official state visit to the UK, it is not his first meeting with the British monarch. Both leaders, who assumed office in May 2023, first met in November 2023 ahead of the 28th United Nations Climate Change Conference in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, with Tinubu describing the encounter as a key step toward strengthening bilateral relations.

In September 2024, Tinubu held a private meeting with King Charles at Buckingham Palace. Presidential spokesperson Bayo Onanuga said the discussions focused on global and regional matters of mutual interest, with particular emphasis on the pressing challenge of climate change.

The royal communications team added that further details regarding the President’s state visit programme would be released in due course.