Buckingham Palace has confirmed on Sunday, February 8, 2026, that King Charles III will host President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Scheduled for March 18 to 19, the visit marks a significant milestone as the first formal state reception for a Nigerian leader in London since 1989.
The two-day engagement will see Tinubu and First Lady Oluremi Tinubu receive with full ceremonial honors at Windsor Castle.
This invitation, extended by the King and Queen Camilla, arrives at a pivotal moment for both nations as they seek to strengthen a “strategic partnership” established in late 2024.
In a statement released on Sunday, the royal communications team announced that King Charles will host Tinubu at Windsor Castle.
The statement reads: “The President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Mr. Bola Ahmed Tinubu, accompanied by the First Lady, Mrs. Oluremi Tinubu, has accepted an invitation from His Majesty The King to pay a State Visit to the United Kingdom from Wednesday, 18th March to Thursday, 19th March 2026. The King and Queen will host the State Visit at Windsor Castle.”
Pan-Atlantic Kompass reports that the last Nigerian state visit to the UK took place in 1989, when military ruler Gen Ibrahim Babangida travelled to meet the late Queen Elizabeth II for a four-day trip.
Although this will be Tinubu’s first formal state visit to the UK, he has already met the King since taking office.
Tinubu and King Charles, both of whom assumed office in May 2023, have met on several occasions. In November 2023, the Nigerian president met the monarch ahead of the 28th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28) in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, describing the engagement as a significant step toward strengthening bilateral relations.
In September 2024, King Charles also received Tinubu at Buckingham Palace for a private meeting.
The agenda for the March 18 visit has not been disclosed, nor have details of the events planned for it. However, Buckingham Palace said that further details will be announced in due course.
King Charles has longstanding ties to Nigeria and has expressed a love for Pidgin English and Afrobeats music.
Before becoming monarch, he visited Nigeria four times as the Prince of Wales.
