Tinubu and wife set for UK state visit in March 2026
President Bola Tinubu and his wife, Oluremi Tinubu, will undertake a two-day state visit to the United Kingdom from March 18 to 19, 2026. The visit comes after an official invitation from King Charles III and will be hosted at Windsor Castle. This marks the first state visit by a Nigerian leader to the UK in 37 years. The announcement was made by the British royal family and confirmed by Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President.
What we know
- Bola Tinubu and Oluremi Tinubu will be hosted by King Charles III and Queen Camilla at Windsor Castle from March 18 to 19, 2026.
- The visit is the first state visit by a Nigerian leader to the UK since 1989, when Gen Ibrahim Babangida was hosted by the late Queen Elizabeth II.
- During the 1989 visit, Gen Babangida conferred Nigeria’s highest national honour on Queen Elizabeth II.
- King Charles III and Bola Tinubu have met on several occasions, including in November 2023 in Dubai and in September 2024 at Buckingham Palace.
- The British monarch has longstanding ties with Nigeria, having visited the country four times as Prince of Wales—in 1990, 1999, 2006, and 2018.
