King Charles III is hosting Nigeria’s President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for the first Nigerian state visit to the UK in 37 years. The two-day visit began with a ceremonial welcome at Windsor Castle, including a carriage procession and military parade, attended by senior royals including Queen Camilla and the Prince and Princess of Wales.
President Tinubu, who is observing Ramadan, and First Lady Oluremi Tinubu, were greeted with full royal honours, including a guard of honour and national anthems from the Grenadier Guards. Tinubu ceremonially inspected the troops, with King Charles walking just behind him.
The visit is aimed at strengthening economic and diplomatic ties, particularly in trade, finance, and defence. Nigeria, Africa’s most populous nation with over 220 million citizens, has a large diaspora in the UK more than 270,000 people and the visit is expected to modernize historical relationships into commercial opportunities, according to government spokesman Mohammed Idris.
Highlights include a state banquet in St George’s Hall, exchanges of gifts, and the laying of a wreath on the tomb of the late Queen Elizabeth II. Mrs Tinubu will also preach at Lambeth Palace and attend interfaith events to promote religious unity in a country divided roughly evenly between Muslims and Christians.
The visit takes place amidst growing international scrutiny of Nigeria’s handling of security challenges, including Islamist insurgencies in the northeast, kidnappings, and ethnic clashes. In Borno State this week, 23 people were killed and over 100 injured in suspected Boko Haram suicide bombings, prompting condemnation from President Tinubu.
The state visit also occurs against a backdrop of global conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East, reflecting the UK’s ongoing diplomatic engagement. The royal banquet will include King Charles’ first public speech since the arrest of his brother, Prince Andrew, underscoring the high-profile and multifaceted nature of the visit.
