King Charles III to host Tinubu, First Lady on UK state visit in March

By Kunle Sanni –

President Bola Tinubu and the First Lady, Oluremi Tinubu, will embark on a state visit to the United Kingdom in March following an invitation from His Majesty King Charles III.

The visit was announced on Sunday via a post on X by the official account of the UK Royal Family.

According to the statement, President Tinubu has accepted the invitation to visit the UK from Wednesday, March 18, to Thursday, March 19, 2026.

It added that the state visit will be hosted by the King and Queen at Windsor Castle.

The visit is expected to further strengthen diplomatic ties between Nigeria and the United Kingdom, with engagements likely to focus on bilateral cooperation, trade and international relations.

In 2024, President Tinubu, during a private high-level discussion with King Charles III at Buckingham Palace in London, reiterated Nigeria’s commitment to addressing climate change while ensuring energy security.

Ahead of the COP28 climate summit in 2023, President Tinubu also met with King Charles III in the United Arab Emirates.

Since Nigeria gained independence in 1960, only a few of its leaders have been accorded full state visit honours by the British monarchy. General Yakubu Gowon became the first Nigerian leader to undertake a state visit to the United Kingdom in June 1973, a period marked by post-civil war reconstruction and Nigeria’s rising influence following the oil boom.

This was followed in March 1981 by former President Shehu Shagari, whose state visit occurred during Nigeria’s Second Republic and focused on strengthening economic and political cooperation at a time of democratic governance.

General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida also undertook a state visit in May 1989, when Nigeria was under military rule but pursuing economic reforms and strategic engagement with Western partners.