Tinubu to arrive at Windsor Castle on Tuesday to hold bilateral meeting with Starmer

President Bola Tinubu will begin a three-day state visit to the United Kingdom on Monday, the British government has confirmed, marking Nigeria’s first full state visit to the country in more than half a century.

The visit, scheduled from 17 to 19 March, will be centred at Windsor Castle and will take in ceremonial events, bilateral meetings and an engagement with members of the Nigerian diaspora.

Monday is given over to preparations — security sweeps, road closures and procession rehearsals ahead of the president’s arrival.

Tinubu lands on Tuesday and will be received by Prince William and Catherine, Princess of Wales. A ceremonial welcome will follow on Datchet Road, complete with national anthems and a guard inspection, before the president travels by carriage procession to Windsor Castle to be received by King Charles III and Queen Camilla.

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The day’s formal programme includes a 21-gun salute, a state luncheon at St George’s Hall and bilateral meetings with UK officials covering trade, security, migration and port development. The evening ends with a cultural exchange showcasing Nigerian artefacts, followed by a state banquet at Windsor Castle.

On Wednesday, Tinubu will have a private breakfast with the king and queen before travelling to London. There, he will lay a wreath at the Cenotaph in Westminster and hold bilateral talks and a working lunch with Prime Minister Keir Starmer at 10 Downing Street. The day also includes a meeting with Nigerian diaspora representatives and the signing of bilateral agreements at Buckingham Palace.

The president departs from RAF Northolt for Nigeria at the close of the visit.