President Bola Tinubu will embark on a two-day state visit to the United Kingdom from March 18 to 19, 2026, following an official invitation from King Charles III.
The visit was announced on Sunday via a post on the official X handle of the British royal family, which stated that the Nigerian leader would be formally hosted 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, during the visit.
The post read, “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.”
Reacting to the announcement, the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, noted that it would be the first state visit by a Nigerian leader to the UK in 37 years.
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 Nigerian leader state visit to the UK was in 1989, when former military president, Ibrahim Babangida, was hosted by the late Queen Elizabeth II for four days.
The British Broadcasting Corporation has described state visits as a tool of soft-power diplomacy, combining royal ceremony and hospitality to strengthen ties with key international partners.
