President Bola Tinubu is scheduled to undertake a two-day state visit to the United Kingdom from March 18 to 19, 2026, following an invitation extended by King Charles III.
The visit was announced on Sunday through a post shared on the official X account of the British royal family, indicating that the Nigerian leader would be received by the King and Queen Camilla at Windsor Castle.
Tinubu will be accompanied by his wife and First Lady, Oluremi Tinubu, during the visit.
The statement read that the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria had accepted the monarch’s invitation to pay a state visit to the UK, where he and the First Lady would be formally hosted by the royal couple.
Reacting to 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 United Kingdom in 37 years.
“First state visit of a Nigerian leader to the UK in 37 years confirmed. President Tinubu and First Lady, Remi Tinubu, will be hosted by King Charles and Queen Camilla from March 18 to 19, 2026,” Onanuga wrote.
The last time a Nigerian leader paid a state visit to the UK was in 1989, when former military president, Ibrahim Babangida, was hosted by the late Queen Elizabeth II.
Prompt News reports that state visits are generally regarded as a key diplomatic instrument, combining ceremonial engagements with high-level discussions aimed at strengthening bilateral relations between nations.
Tinubu and King Charles, who both assumed office in May 2023, have interacted on several occasions since then.
In November 2023, the Nigerian President met the monarch in Dubai ahead of the 28th United Nations Climate Change Conference, COP28, where discussions centred on deepening cooperation between both countries.
The King also received Tinubu at Buckingham Palace in September 2024 during a private meeting.
King Charles has maintained longstanding ties with Nigeria and has often spoken fondly of the country’s culture, including its Pidgin English and Afrobeats music.
Before becoming monarch, he visited Nigeria four times as Prince of Wales—in 1990, 1999, 2006 and 2018. Queen Camilla, then Duchess of Cornwall, accompanied him during the 2018 visit.
In 2023, the King’s Trust International, formerly known as the Prince’s Trust, commenced operations in Nigeria with programmes designed to tackle youth unemployment.