ABUJA, Nigeria (VOICE OF NAIJA)-President Bola Tinubu is scheduled to undertake a two-day state visit to the United Kingdom from March 18 to 19, 2026, after receiving a formal invitation from King Charles III.
The visit was disclosed on Sunday through a post on the official X account of the British royal family, which confirmed that the Nigerian President will be officially received by the King and Queen Camilla at Windsor Castle.
According to the post, Tinubu will be accompanied by his wife and First Lady, Oluremi Tinubu.
The post stated, “The President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Mr. Bola Ahmed Tinubu, accompanied by the First Lady, Mrs. Oluremi Tinubu, has accepted an invitation from His Majesty The King to pay a state visit to the United Kingdom from Wednesday, 18th March to Thursday, 19th March 2026. The King and Queen will host the state visit at Windsor Castle.”
Commenting on the development, the Special Adviser to the President 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 37 years.
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He wrote, “First state visit of a Nigerian leader to the UK in 37 years confirmed. President Tinubu and First Lady Remi Tinubu to be hosted by King Charles and Queen Camilla from 18th March to 19th March 2026.”
The last state visit by a Nigerian leader to the United Kingdom took place in 1989, when former military president Ibrahim Babangida was hosted for four days by the late Queen Elizabeth II.
The British Broadcasting Corporation has characterised state visits as instruments of soft-power diplomacy, blending royal pageantry with hospitality to reinforce relations with strategic international partners.
President Tinubu and King Charles, both of whom assumed office in May 2023, have met on several occasions.
In November 2023, Tinubu met the monarch in Dubai ahead of the 28th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28), describing the meeting as a key step toward strengthening bilateral ties.
In September 2024, King Charles also hosted Tinubu at Buckingham Palace during a private audience.
The British monarch has deep personal connections with Nigeria and has frequently expressed his affection for Pidgin English and Afrobeats music.
Before becoming King, he visited Nigeria four times as Prince of Wales in 1990, 1999, 2006 and 2018 with Camilla, then Duchess of Cornwall, accompanying him on the 2018 trip.
In 2023, the King’s Trust International, formerly the Prince’s Trust, officially commenced operations in Nigeria, launching initiatives focused on tackling youth unemployment.