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King Charles III, together with Queen Camilla, is set to welcome Nigeria’s president in a historic occasion as Nigeria makes its first state visit to the United Kingdom in nearly four decades. The announcement came from Buckingham Palace, confirming that President Bola Tinubu and First Lady Oluremi Tinubu have accepted the invitation to attend the visit at Windsor Castle, scheduled for 18 to 19 March.
State visits hold significant diplomatic importance, serving as a form of soft power by utilizing royal ceremony and hospitality to foster stronger ties with key international partners. The last time Nigeria undertook such a visit was in 1989, when the then military ruler General Ibrahim Babangida met with the late Queen Elizabeth II during a four-day trip to the UK. More recently in September 2024, President Tinubu and his wife were received at Buckingham Palace and met the King during the COP28 summit in Dubai, though the upcoming state visit is distinguished by its ceremonial grandeur.
The timing of this visit highlights growing diplomatic and economic connections between the UK and Nigeria. Recent government data shows that trade between the two nations topped £8 billion in the year leading to October, underscoring Nigeria’s status as one of the UK’s most important African partners. In 2024, both countries formalized a new trade and investment agreement aimed at broadening business opportunities, further solidifying their working relationship.
While details of the March itinerary have not yet been made public, state visits traditionally include celebratory events such as carriage processions and state banquets, along with formal political discussions. King Charles III, who maintains a personal connection with Nigeria and the Commonwealth, has a history of visits to the country during his time as Prince of Wales—in 1990, 1999, 2006, and 2018, the latter accompanied by Camilla. In 2023, his charitable organization King’s Trust International officially launched initiatives in Nigeria to address youth unemployment, marking another important link between the two nations
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