President Bola Tinubu and King Charles III
President Bola Tinubu will land at the airport on March 17, 2026 to begin a historic State Visit that will showcase to the world the unique bond that exists between Nigeria and the United Kingdom. When the formalities of the visit begin on March 18, President Tinubu, in the company of his wife, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, will be the fifth Nigerian leader to be so honoured at the highest level of diplomacy by the British Crown and the first to be hosted at Windsor Castle. The four previous Nigerian leaders were hosted at the Buckingham Palace.
This visit carries symbolism beyond ceremony. It reflects the steady evolution of a relationship shaped first by history, then by diplomacy, and now increasingly by commerce, investment, and shared global ambition.
Nigeria’s post independence leader, Prime Minister Tafawa Balewa, the first to be invited on a State Visit by a British sovereign, was received on December 14, 1965, by Queen Elizabeth II in a move that signalled the preeminent status of Nigeria as the giant of Africa on a global stage, just five years after independence from British colonial rule. Eight years later, Queen Elizabeth II hosted General Yakubu Gowon, the Military Head of State, on June 12, 1973. That visit was followed by that of the first democratically elected President of Nigeria, Alhaji Shehu Usman Shagari, which began from March 17 through March 20, 1981.
By the time the fourth visit by a Nigerian leader took place in 1989, the country had, again, fallen under military rule after the short spell of the Shagari administration from October 1, 1979, to December 31, 1983. Queen Elizabeth II hosted General Ibrahim Babangida and his late wife, Mariam Babangida, to a spectacular State Visit that ended on May 12, 1989.
If the previous four State Visits elevated the special relationship between Nigeria and the United Kingdom, President Tinubu’s scheduled visit, which was first announced by the British Royal Family on February 10, 2026, is taking the bond between the two great nations to a new era of cooperation and shared values. It is worth stating that Nigeria is the only country in Africa whose leader will be hosted on a state visit by His Majesty’s government for the fifth time. Only South Africa whose President has been received three times came close and the last was when President Jacob Zuma and his wife, Thobeka Zuma were hosted between March 3 to March 5, 2010. Other leaders of African countries such as Egypt, Ghana, Zimbabwe, Senegal, Morocco, Malawi, Liberia, Zambia and Tanzania have only been hosted once.
Since Independence in 1960, Nigeria and the United Kingdom have enjoyed robust bilateral relations covering education, defence, trade, culture, technology, and sports.
Security cooperation has also remained a central pillar of this partnership. The United Kingdom continues to support Nigeria in areas such as counter terrorism training, intelligence collaboration, and military capacity building, particularly in efforts to stabilise parts of the country affected by insurgency and organised crime. This cooperation reflects the shared interest of both nations in regional stability and international security.
President Tinubu’s visit to the UK on the invitation of King Charles III, at a time the United Kingdom is redefining her global trade relationships following exit from the European Union, is not just another visit. It is a visit that speaks to the status of Nigeria as the world’s largest Black democracy and the biggest market in Africa. It is also coming on the heels of significant economic reforms initiated by President Tinubu to stabilise Nigeria’s economy, liberalise the foreign exchange market, reform the tax system, and reposition the country for investment led growth.
