Fatimah Otunsanya
President Bola Tinubu and First Lady Senator Oluremi Tinubu touched down at Stansted Airport on Tuesday afternoon, marking the start of a landmark state visit to the United Kingdom.
The presidential aircraft landed shortly after 3:00 p.m. local time under clear skies, as captured in a post and footage shared via X by the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Public Communication, Sunday Dare.
“Timeline: 15:23PM. President Bola Tinubu and First Lady Oluremi Tinubu touch down at Stansted airport, United Kingdom as Historic Visit begins,” Dare wrote.
In the brief video clip, the aircraft taxis to a stop on the tarmac before the presidential couple disembarks.
The visit, extended by invitation from Their Majesties King Charles III and Queen Camilla, is the first Nigerian state visit to the UK since 1989 and the first time a Nigerian leader will be hosted at Windsor Castle. Previous Nigerian state visits occurred in 1973 and 1981 under the late Queen Elizabeth II.
A statement by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, on Monday disclosed that the President and the First Lady would be guests of the King and Queen at Windsor Castle from March 18 to 19.
The President will also be the guest of honour at the Nigerian Modernism exhibition, showcasing modern arts and culture, and will attend a reception with Nigerian and British business leaders and the diaspora community.
The King and the President will also meet with organisations engaged in interfaith dialogue, both nationally and internationally.
President Tinubu will hold a bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Keir Starmer at 10 Downing Street, which will lead to expanded engagement between senior officials of both countries.
The meeting will culminate in the signing of various Memoranda of Understanding and agreements, including those on trade, investment, defence, and cultural cooperation.
The President will witness the signing of a landmark £746 million financing deal between UK Export Finance and the Nigerian Ports Authority and Federal Ministry of Finance to support the refurbishment of two major national maritime infrastructures — the Lagos Port Complex (Apapa Quays) and the Tin Can Island Port Complex.
Members of the President’s entourage include Senate President Godswill Akpabio; Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Fagbemi (SAN); Minister of Solid Minerals, Dele Alake; Minister of Information and National Orientation, Idris Mohammed; and Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Ojukwu.
Others are Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun; Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr. Jumoke Oduwole; Minister of Culture and Creative Economy, Hannatu Musawa; and Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Bosun Tijani.
Also on the trip are Minister of Defence, Gen. Christopher Musa (retd.); National Security Adviser, Malam Nuhu Ribadu; and Director-General of the National Intelligence Agency, Mohammed Mohammed.
