President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has accepted an official invitation from King Charles III for a two-day State Visit to the United Kingdom, scheduled for March 18 and 19, 2026. The announcement, made Sunday by Buckingham Palace and the British Royal Family, marks the first time a Nigerian leader has been accorded the highest level of diplomatic honour in the UK since 1989.
The President and First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, will be hosted by King Charles III and Queen Camilla at Windsor Castle.
The British Royal Family confirmed the acceptance through its official communications, stating that the President has accepted the invitation to pay a State Visit from Wednesday, March 18, to Thursday, March 19. The statement emphasised that the King and Queen will host the delegation at Windsor Castle.
Bayo Onanuga, the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, described the development as a landmark moment for Nigeria’s foreign policy. Onanuga noted that the engagement represents the "first state visit of a Nigerian leader to the UK in 37 years," following the 1989 visit of former military president General Ibrahim Babangida, who was hosted by the late Queen Elizabeth II.