President Bola Tinubu has been accorded full military honours at Windsor Castle as he commenced a state visit to the United Kingdom.
The visit marks the first of its kind by a Nigerian leader to the UK in 37 years.
Tinubu, accompanied by his wife, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, was welcomed with a 42-gun salute fired by the King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery.
Earlier, the Prince and Princess of Wales, Prince William and Catherine, Princess of Wales, received the Nigerian leader and his wife ahead of their formal audience with King Charles III.
The British monarch is scheduled to host the Nigerian President and the First Lady at the royal residence during the two-day visit.
Activities lined up include the exchange of gifts and the display of artefacts linked to Nigeria from the Royal Collection, culminating in a state banquet at St George’s Hall within the castle.
Both King Charles and Tinubu are expected to deliver speeches at the evening banquet, which will be attended by political figures and prominent individuals with ties to Nigeria.
However, there will be no traditional luncheon with the monarch, as Tinubu, a Muslim, is currently observing the fasting period of Ramadan.
The President and his wife are also expected to lay a wreath at the tomb of Queen Elizabeth II located at St George’s Chapel.
As part of the itinerary, the couple will engage with organisations promoting interfaith dialogue, amid growing concerns over insecurity in Nigeria.
READ ALSO
- Tinubu appoints Special Adviser on National Assembly – Reps
- WAFCON 2026: Algeria cruise past Senegal to win tournament opener
- Adeleke, Accord Party stakeholders endorse Tinubu for 2027
- Polytechnic suspends six lecturers over sexual harassment, cultism
- How NDLEA arrested Lagos trader over cocaine hidden in food cartons bound for UK
The development comes against the backdrop of recent attacks in Maiduguri, where suspected terrorists reportedly detonated explosives at a major market, the gate of the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital, and the Post Office flyover.
