THE President and First Lady Oluremi Tinubu will today depart Abuja for a historic two-day State Visit to the United Kingdom at the invitation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla.
It marks the first State Visit by a Nigerian leader to the United Kingdom in decades.
It will also make President Tinubu the first Nigerian President to be received by the British monarch at Windsor Castle.
The Presidency said the visit is intended to strengthen the longstanding relationship between Nigeria and the United Kingdom.
Nigeria gained independence from British colonial rule on October 1, 1960.
The visit is expected to open new avenues for cooperation in key areas, including immigration, trade, investment and cultural exchange.
The two countries are major partners in trade, which reached £8.1 billion ($11 billion) in September 2025.
Fresh momentum is building around Nigeria’s global engagement as sweeping economic reforms introduced by President Tinubu begin to reshape international perceptions of the country.
According to the schedule of the visit, the British monarch Queen Camilla will host the Nigerian leader and his wife at Windsor Castle tomorrow.
During the visit, King Charles III and Queen Camilla will host the President and the First Lady to a special exhibition from the Royal Collection featuring items related to Nigeria.
The programme will also include private discussions between the monarch and the Nigerian leader, as well as a joint engagement with organisations involved in interfaith dialogue.
A ceremonial welcome will take place along Datchet Road, featuring the playing of national anthems and the inspection of a guard of honour.
Following the ceremony, the Nigerian leader will join a carriage procession to Windsor Castle, where King Charles III and Queen Camilla will receive him.
The programme includes a formal reception, a 21-gun salute and a state luncheon at St George’s Hall.
In London, he is expected to lay a wreath at the Cenotaph in Westminster before meeting Prime Minister Keir Starmer at 10 Downing Street for bilateral talks and a working lunch.
A State Banquet will be hosted by the Royal Family in honour of President Tinubu and his delegation.
President Tinubu’s meeting with Starmer is expected to culminate in the signing of a series of Memoranda of Understanding and agreements covering trade, investment, defence and cultural cooperation.
President Tinubu will also witness the signing of a £746 million financing agreement between UK Export Finance (UKEF), the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) and the Federal Ministry of Finance.
The financing package will support the refurbishment of two major maritime facilities – the Lagos Port Complex (Apapa Quays) and the Tin Can Island Port Complex.
The President will further attend the Nigerian Modernism exhibition as a guest of honour.
He will participate in a reception featuring Nigerian and British business leaders, as well as Nigerians in the United Kingdom.
Members of the President’s delegation include Senate President Godswill Akpabio; Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Fagbemi (SAN); Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dele Alake; Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris; and Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Ojukwu.
Others are Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun; Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr. Jumoke Oduwole; Minister of Culture and Creative Economy, Hannatu Musawa; Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr. Bosun Tijani; and Minister of Defence, General Christopher Musa (rtd).
Also accompanying the President are the National Security Adviser, Malam Nuhu Ribadu, and the Director-General of the National Intelligence Agency, Ambassador Mohammed Mohammed.
President Tinubu is expected to return to Nigeria after Thursday’s conclusion of the visit.
President Tinubu is expected to depart the United Kingdom from RAF Northolt at the end of the visit.
