Oluremi Tinubu, First Lady of Nigeria, is scheduled to preach at London’s Lambeth Palace on Thursday, coinciding with Nigeria’s first state visit to the United Kingdom in nearly four decades.
Gatekeepers News reports that President Bola Tinubu and the First Lady arrived in London on Tuesday at Stansted Airport to commence the visit.
According to the official schedule reported by AFP, prior to her preaching engagement, Oluremi Tinubu and the president will meet King Charles III on Wednesday. They are also set to meet the heir to the throne, Prince William, and his wife, Catherine, Princess of Wales, who will accompany them to Windsor.
King Charles will later receive the president at Windsor Castle before hosting a state banquet that evening. On the same day, the First Lady is expected to meet representatives of the Church of England.
Bilateral Ties and Agenda
Tinubu has previously visited the UK multiple times, and Nigeria and Britain maintain strong partnerships in trade, aid, and defense. London is also home to a large Nigerian diaspora.
In November 2024, the two countries concluded a strategic partnership to strengthen economic, immigration, and security cooperation. Likely discussion points during the visit include Nigerian port renovations backed by Britain and bilateral trade, which reached £8.1 billion ($11 billion) in the year to September 2025, an 11.4% increase year-on-year.
Security Concerns Back Home
The visit comes in the wake of suspected suicide bombings in northeastern Nigeria on Monday, which killed at least 23 people. The country has faced a jihadist insurgency since 2009, with Donald Trump previously describing it as a “genocide” of Christians — an allegation denied by Abuja.
President Tinubu has directed security chiefs to move to Maiduguri, the site of the attacks, to take charge of the situation.
Other Engagements
On Thursday, the president is also expected to meet Keir Starmer, the British Prime Minister, and members of the Nigerian community in the UK. The official schedule does not include meetings with the British opposition.
The last Nigerian state visit to the UK was in 1989, although Tinubu met King Charles in September 2024. Before the death of Queen Elizabeth II in 2022, Charles, as Prince of Wales, visited Nigeria four times.
