President Tinubu meets King Charles on historic UK visit
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The visit began with a reception at the Fairmont Hotel, where Prince William and Princess Catherine greeted the Nigerian president and first lady. Tinubu and his wife later inspected a guard of honour before the audience at Windsor Castle, where King Charles will host a state banquet in the evening.
Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu is meeting with King Charles III on the country’s first state visit to the United Kingdom in nearly four decades.
The president and his wife, Oluremi Tinubu, arrived Tuesday at Stansted Airport, marking the start of a historic diplomatic engagement.
The visit began with a reception at the Fairmont Hotel, where Prince William and Princess Catherine greeted the Nigerian president and first lady.
Tinubu and his wife later inspected a guard of honour before the audience at Windsor Castle, where King Charles will host a state banquet in the evening.
The UK-Nigeria partnership spans trade, aid, and defense, with London hosting a large Nigerian diaspora. Tinubu’s agenda is expected to cover major Nigerian port renovations funded by Britain, as well as trade, which reached £8.1 billion ($11 billion) in the year to September 2025 — an 11.4% increase year-on-year.
Tinubu is scheduled to meet British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and members of the Nigerian community on Thursday. Notably absent from the official schedule is the traditional meeting with the British opposition.
The visit comes amid ongoing security challenges in Nigeria. On Monday, suspected suicide bombings in northeastern Nigeria killed at least 23 people. In response, Tinubu ordered security chiefs to move to Maiduguri to coordinate efforts.
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