President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and First Lady Oluremi Tinubu have returned to Nigeria following a two-day state visit to the United Kingdom.
Video footage shared on X by the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Public Communication, Sunday Dare, showed the presidential aircraft touching down on Friday, with top government officials, including Senate President Godswill Akpabio, on hand to receive the couple.
“A President arrives home. Excitement as President Tinubu returns to Nigeria after a resoundingly successful state visit to the UK,” Dare wrote.
The visit, held from March 18 to 19, 2026, marked the first formal state visit by a Nigerian leader to the UK in 37 years, the last having taken place in 1989.
President Tinubu and the First Lady departed Abuja and arrived at London Stansted Airport on Tuesday. They were hosted the following day at Windsor Castle by King Charles III and Queen Camilla, where they received a ceremonial welcome, including an honour guard and carriage procession.
The Nigerian delegation, led by the President, also attended a state banquet hosted in their honour. At the event, Tinubu reflected on the support he received in the United Kingdom during Nigeria’s military era, while reaffirming the enduring relationship between both nations.
In his remarks, King Charles described the UK–Nigeria relationship as a “partnership of equals,” highlighting deep cultural, commercial, and people-to-people ties.
On Thursday, President Tinubu held a high-level bilateral meeting with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, aimed at strengthening cooperation between both countries.
Key outcomes of the visit included the signing of several Memoranda of Understanding, notably a £746 million financing agreement involving UK Export Finance, the Nigerian Ports Authority, and the Federal Ministry of Finance to support port infrastructure upgrades.
Additionally, a new agreement was reached with the United Kingdom to facilitate the return of failed Nigerian asylum seekers, visa overstayers, and convicted offenders, as part of broader efforts to enhance migration management and bilateral cooperation.
