President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and First Lady Oluremi Tinubu are set to depart Abuja for a historic two-day State Visit to the United Kingdom at the invitation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla.
The visit marks the first State Visit by a Nigerian leader to the UK in decades and will see Tinubu become the first Nigerian President to be formally received at Windsor Castle.
According to the Presidency, the trip aims to strengthen long-standing diplomatic, economic and cultural ties between Nigeria and the UK.
The Nigerian leader will be hosted at Windsor Castle with full state honours, including a ceremonial welcome, guard of honour inspection, carriage procession and a 21-gun salute.
The Royal Family will also host a State Banquet and a special exhibition from the Royal Collection highlighting artefacts linked to Nigeria.
Tinubu is expected to hold private discussions with King Charles III and participate in engagements promoting interfaith dialogue and cultural exchange.
In London, Tinubu will meet UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer at 10 Downing Street for bilateral talks expected to produce agreements on trade, investment, defence and cultural cooperation.
A major highlight of the visit will be the signing of a £746 million financing agreement involving UK Export Finance, the Nigerian Ports Authority and the Federal Ministry of Finance.
The deal will fund the rehabilitation of key maritime infrastructure, including the Lagos Port Complex (Apapa) and Tin Can Island Port, boosting Nigeria’s trade capacity.
The Minister of Information, Mohammed Idris, said the visit reflects growing global confidence in Nigeria’s economy following sweeping reforms by the Tinubu administration.
He highlighted policy measures such as subsidy removal and foreign exchange harmonisation, which he said have improved fiscal transparency and attracted over $8 billion in investment in the oil and gas sector.
Idris also noted Nigeria’s exit from the Financial Action Task Force grey list and rising external reserves above $50 billion as signs of economic recovery.
The visit will feature a wreath-laying ceremony at the Cenotaph in Westminster, participation in the Nigerian Modernism exhibition, and engagement with business leaders and the Nigerian diaspora.
Tinubu will be accompanied by top government officials, including Senate President Godswill Akpabio, Attorney General Lateef Fagbemi, and National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu, among others.
The President is expected to conclude the visit and depart the UK from RAF Northolt after a series of high-level engagements aimed at deepening bilateral cooperation.