President Tinubu depart Nigeria for two-day State Visit to di UK

President Bola Tinubu don depart from Abuja to di United Kingdom to start im two-day State Visit wia im and First Lady Remi Tinubu go dey hosted by King Charles III and Queen Camilla.

Tinubu and im wife comot from Abuja airport at around 10:00am on Tuesday.

Di Nigeria presidency dey describe dis trip as historic sake of say na di first state visit by a Nigerian president since 1989, na also di first under King Charles, and na also di first to be hosted for Windsor Castle.

"Di purpose of dis visit na to strengthen bilateral relations and explore avenues for collaboration on issues such as immigration, trade, investment, and cultural exchange," di tok-tok pesin for Tinubu, Bayo Onanuga tok for one statement.

Dis trip don coincide wit di terrorist attacks for Maiduguri di capital of Borno State on Monday evening wia about 23 pipo don kpai and more dan 100 injure for multiple bombings for di metropolis.

Some critics tok say Tinubu for cancel di trip sake of di attacks, and di presidency don debunk one fake social media post wia pipo claim say US President Donald Trump dey criticise Tinubu for travelling wen im kontri dey face serious security challenges.

Tinubu UK State Visit schedule

Na King Charles take im hand invite Tinubu for dis visit, and already, im don first host big party for St James Palace, on 12 March 2026, for Nigerian diaspora pipo wey dey live for di UK, in preparation for Tinubu visit.

King Charles imsef, wen e still be di Prince of Wales, don visit Nigeria four times for: in 1990, 1999, 2006 and 2018.

President Tinubu and First Lady Remi Tinubu go arrive for di United Kingdom for di afternoon of Tuesday, 17 March 2026, for London Stansted Airport, and dem go dey welcomed on behalf of di King by di Deputy Lieutenant of Essex, Mark Bevan, and by di Acting Nigeria High Commissioner to di UK, Ambassador Mohammed Maidugu.

Den di State Visit go start wella on Wednesday, 18 March, wen di Prince and Princess of Wales - Prince William and im wife - go receive di President and First Lady, on behalf of di King, for di Fairmont Hotel Windsor on Wednesday morning.

Dem go travel wit President Tinubu and im wife to Datchet Road, Windsor, wia dem go receive Ceremonial Welcome.

Di King and Queen go formally welcome di President and First Lady for di Royal Dais, for Datchet Road, as dem go fire Royal Salute for di Home Park for Windsor, and for di Tower of London.

Dem go make presentations and King Charles escort go give Royal Salute, and dem go play di Nigerian National Anthem.

Afta dat, di Nigeria President and First Lady go join di King and Queen, and di Prince and Princess of Wales, for inside carriage procession to Windsor Castle.

For di Quadrangle of Windsor Castle, di carriage procession go meet one Guard of Honour of di 1st Battalion Grenadier Guards wit di Royal Standard of di Regiment, wit di Corps of Drums of di Battalion and di Band of the Regiment, mounted for di Quadrangle.

Di Guard of Honour go give Royal Salute, and di Band go play di Nigerian and British National Anthems.

Den, di President and di King go inspect di Guard of Honour, and afta dat, togeda wit di Prince and Princess of Wales, dem go watch as di King Troop Royal Horse Artillery March Past, di Sovereign Escort Rank Past and di Guard of Honour March Past.

Later for afternoon, President Tinubu and First Lady Remi Tinubu go watch special exhibition of items about Nigeria from di Royal Collection, for di Green Drawing Room.

Following dis, His Majesty Di King go receive di President for audience for Windsor Castle, and togeda dem go visit Vicars Hall, Windsor, wia dem go meet organisations wey dey work for interfaith dialogue nationally and internationally.

Afta dis meetings, President Tinubu and im wife go do private visit to St George Chapel, Windsor, to lay wreath of flowers on tomp di Tomb of Queen Elizabeth II.

For evening, Di King and Di Queen and Members of di Royal Family go give State Banquet for Windsor Castle for President Tinubu and im wife Remi Tinubu.

For di beginning of dis banquet, both Di King and di President go deliver speeches.

First Lady to preach for Lambeth Palace

On Thursday morning, di President and First Lady go formally say bye-bye to di King and Queen for Windsor Castle, bifor dem go travel to Westminster Abbey, wia Tinubu go lay wreath for di Grave of di Unknown Warrior.

Den Tinubu go also visit No. 10 Downing Street - di official office of di British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, wia dem go hold bilateral meeting, while Remi Tinubu go visit Lambeth Palace - di official London residence of di Archbishop of Canterbury wey be head of di Church of England.

Dia, she go enta di Chapel for small Service of Prayer, and dem go invite her to preach, bifor she go later join one reception wit representatives from di Church of England and some faith charities including Christian Aid and Mothers Union, wey don dey do some charity work for Nigeria.

Las las, President Tinubu and im wife go join body to go and watch di Nigerian Modernism exhibition for Tate Modern, and also attend reception wit members of di Nigerian Diaspora for di UK.

Tinubu and first Lady Remi Tinubu go depart from di UK for evening of Thursday, 19 March 2026.

Visit go yield economic benefits for Nigeria - Presidency

Bayo Onanuga for im statement on Monday say di State Visit of President Tinubu to di UK go also present opportunity for im to meet wit di UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer to expand bilateral engagement betwin senior officials of di two kontris.

"Di meeting go lead to di signing of various Memoranda of Understanding and agreements, including di ones on trade, investment, defence, and cultural cooperation," Onanuga tok.

"President Tinubu go witness di signing of di landmark £746 million financing deal betwin di UK Export Finance (UKEF) and di Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) and di Federal Ministry of Finance, to support di refurbishment of two of Nigeria's major national maritime infrastructure - di Lagos Port Complex (Apapa Quays) and di Tin Can Island Port Complex."

Nigeria and UK relations

Apart from say na Britain colonise Nigeria, di two kontris get good bilateral relationship wey date bake to many years.

According to one 2022 report by di UK parliament foreign affairs committee, "Nigeria na one of di most important countries for di future of di UK" and di UK govment no dey see Nigeria as simply dia regional partner for Africa, but as a global partner.

Nigeria get big and vibrant diaspora community for di UK, and for di 2021 census for England and Wales, more dan 270,000 pipo bin write Nigeria as dia kontri of birth, according to di official website of di UK parliament.

Also, di Nigeria Minister of Information, Mohammed Idris write on Monday say, "so much of wetin dey define our systems (for Nigeria) today na still British legacy – from our official language to di legal system and civil service traditions".

"But while dis historical ties dey valuable, dis visit (of President Tinubu and First Lady Remi Tinubu to di UK) no be about looking back... na about forging ahead: to strengthen mutually beneficial partnership wey dey anchored in trade, investment, and respect."