President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is scheduled to undertake a two-day state visit to the United Kingdom from March 18 to 19, 2026, following a formal invitation from King Charles III.
The visit was confirmed on Sunday through an announcement published on the official social media platform of the British Royal Family, which stated that the Nigerian leader would be received by the King and Queen Camilla at Windsor Castle.
According to the announcement, the President will be accompanied by his wife and First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, during the visit.
“President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, accompanied by the First Lady, has accepted an invitation from His Majesty The King to pay a state visit to the United Kingdom from Wednesday, March 18 to Thursday, March 19, 2026,” the statement said.
Reacting to the development, the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, described the visit as historic, noting that it would be the first state visit by a Nigerian leader to the UK in nearly four decades.
“This confirms the first state visit by a Nigerian President to the United Kingdom in 37 years. President Tinubu and the First Lady will be hosted by King Charles and Queen Camilla at Windsor Castle,” Onanuga said.
The last Nigerian leader to undertake a state visit to the United Kingdom was former military president Ibrahim Babangida in 1989, when he was hosted by the late Queen Elizabeth II.
State visits are widely regarded as a key diplomatic tool, combining ceremonial engagements with strategic discussions aimed at strengthening bilateral relations between countries.
President Tinubu and King Charles, who both assumed office in May 2023, have held several meetings in recent years.
In November 2023, the two leaders met in Dubai ahead of the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28), where Tinubu described the engagement as significant for deepening Nigeria-UK relations.
The British monarch also received the Nigerian President during a private meeting at Buckingham Palace in September 2024.
King Charles has maintained longstanding ties with Nigeria, having visited the country on several occasions before ascending the throne.
In 2023, The King’s Trust International officially launched its operations in Nigeria, focusing on programmes designed to tackle youth unemployment.
