President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has departed Abuja for a state visit to the United Kingdom, marking the first such visit by a Nigerian leader in 37 years.

The President, accompanied by the First Lady, Oluremi Tinubu, left the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport at about 10:00 a.m. aboard an Airbus A330.

According to the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, the visit aims to strengthen bilateral relations and deepen cooperation between both countries in areas such as immigration, trade, investment and cultural exchange.

During the visit, President Tinubu will be hosted by King Charles III and Queen Camilla at Windsor Castle, where a state banquet and high-level engagements are scheduled. The President is also expected to hold talks with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer at 10 Downing Street.

The engagements will culminate in the signing of several agreements covering trade, investment, defence and cultural cooperation. A key highlight is a £746 million financing deal involving UK Export Finance, the Nigerian Ports Authority and the Federal Ministry of Finance for the rehabilitation of the Lagos Port Complex and Tin Can Island Port Complex.

The President will also attend a Nigerian Modernism exhibition and meet with business leaders and members of the diaspora community.

Members of the delegation include Senate President Godswill Akpabio, Attorney General Lateef Fagbemi, as well as ministers and top government officials across key sectors.

The last Nigerian state visit to the United Kingdom was in 1989 under Ibrahim Babangida during the reign of Queen Elizabeth II. President Tinubu is expected to return to Nigeria at the conclusion of the visit.