President Bola Tinubu’s state visit to the United Kingdom opened with a ceremonial welcome at Windsor Castle.
Mr Tinubu and his Wife, Remi Tinubu, were treated to a 42-gun salute by the King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery.
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Senior royals, including the Queen Consort and the Prince and Princess of Wales, had earlier greeted them.
Mr Tinubu and his wife, Remi Tinubu, arrived at London’s Stansted Airport on Tuesday. They were received with all the pomp of a royal reception, beginning with a carriage procession followed by a formal military parade in Windsor Castle.
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In a post on X, the Special Adviser on Information and Strategy to President Tinubu, Bayo Onanuga, disclosed that Prince William and Princess Catherine welcomed the President and his wife at the Fairmont Hotel.
The meeting on Wednesday (today) marks the first day of the two-day meeting with King Charles III.
The BBC reports that the King and President Tinubu will give speeches later this evening at the state banquet.
The banquet is expected to be attended by political leaders and celebrities with links to Nigeria.
The event’s schedule also includes exchanges of gifts and displays of items linked to Nigeria in the Royal Collection.
Mr Tinubu has visited Britain several times since taking office, but this is his first state visit and the first by a Nigerian leader to the United Kingdom in 37 years.
According to the Nigerian Minister of Information, Mohammed Idris, this meeting is about “turning a historic relationship into a modern economic partnership – transforming trust into opportunity.”
“Nigeria’s economic reforms are unlocking the potential of Africa’s largest consumer market. The United Kingdom is a natural partner in what comes next.
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“This visit marks the next step in deepening cooperation across trade, finance and defence,” he noted.
President Tinubu’s state visit to the UK, however, comes two days after multiple bomb blasts hit Maiduguri. At least 23 people were killed, and more than 108 other Nigerians were injured, according to the Borno State Police Command.
PREMIUM TIMES reported that the explosions, which occurred on Monday evening, struck three locations—the El-Kanemi Monday Market, the gate of the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital (UMTH), and the Post Office area.
The police also stated that preliminary findings showed that the attacks were carried out by suspected suicide bombers, an assertion corroborated by the military.
This paper also reported that while no group has claimed responsibility for the attacks, there are suspicions that terrorists under the command of Ali Ngulde, a Boko Haram commander in Mandara mountain, Gwoza LGA, could be responsible for the attacks.
