King Charles III and Queen Camilla will host Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu on the country’s first state visit to the United Kingdom in 37 years, Buckingham Palace has confirmed.
President Tinubu and First Lady Oluremi Tinubu will be guests of the King at Windsor Castle from 18 to 19 March, marking a significant moment in UK–Nigeria diplomatic relations.
State visits are regarded as one of the highest forms of diplomatic engagement, using royal ceremony and tradition to underline the importance of bilateral ties. The last Nigerian leader to receive such an honour was General Ibrahim Babangida, who visited the late Queen Elizabeth II in 1989.
Although this will be Tinubu’s first official state visit since taking office, he has already met King Charles on several occasions. In September 2024, the Nigerian leader and his wife were received at Buckingham Palace, and later held talks with the King during the COP28 summit in Dubai.
Unlike standard diplomatic meetings, a state visit typically includes ceremonial pageantry such as carriage processions, military honours and a state banquet, alongside political discussions with senior UK officials.
The visit comes amid strengthening economic and diplomatic relations between both countries. Trade between the UK and Nigeria exceeded £8 billion in the year to October, making Nigeria one of Britain’s most important partners in Africa. In 2024, both governments signed a new trade and investment partnership aimed at expanding business opportunities.
While the full agenda for the March visit has not yet been released, state visits traditionally coincide with high-level political meetings and symbolic events designed to reinforce long-term cooperation.
King Charles has longstanding personal ties to Nigeria, a fellow Commonwealth nation. He has previously spoken of his affection for Pidgin English and Nigerian Afrobeats music. Before becoming monarch, he visited Nigeria four times as Prince of Wales — in 1990, 1999, 2006 and 2018 — with Queen Camilla joining him on the most recent trip.
In 2023, the King’s Trust International officially launched in Nigeria, unveiling programmes focused on tackling youth unemployment and supporting entrepreneurship.
