President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and First Lady Oluremi Tinubu, arrived in the United Kingdom on March 18, 2026, for a two-day state visit at the invitation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla. His plane touched down at London Stansted Airport at 3:18 pm local time.
Mark Bevan, Deputy Lieutenant of Essex, received the President on behalf of the Royal Family. Ambassador Mohammed Maidugu, acting High Commissioner of Nigeria to the UK, joined other senior officials in welcoming the Nigerian delegation. Senators, governors, and ministers also gathered to greet President Tinubu and First Lady Senator Oluremi Tinubu at their hotel.
King Charles III hosted President Tinubu at Windsor Castle on the first day of the visit. The monarch and the Nigerian President traveled together in the Australian State Coach to the historic royal residence. This marked the first state visit by a Nigerian President to the United Kingdom since 1989. The UK Parliament’s research service noted that previous state visits occurred in 1973 and 1981.
The visit aimed to strengthen bilateral relations between Nigeria and the United Kingdom. Furthermore, it sought to explore investment opportunities for business communities in both nations. The two countries established a strategic partnership in 2024. This partnership created a framework for closer cooperation on growth, defence, security, migration, development, and people-to-people links.
King Charles III has maintained long-standing ties with Nigeria. He visited the country four times as Prince of Wales in 1990, 1999, 2006, and 2018. Queen Elizabeth II last visited Nigeria in 2003 for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting. Prince William, Duke of Edinburgh, traveled to Nigeria in November 2025 and met President Tinubu during a visit focused on youth leadership.
