Oluremi Tinubu To Preach At Lambeth Palace During UK Visit

Nigeria’s First Lady, Oluremi Tinubu, is set to preach at Lambeth Palace on Thursday, marking a symbolic highlight of Nigeria’s first state visit to the United Kingdom in nearly four decades.

The First Lady is also scheduled to meet representatives of the Church of England on the same day, underscoring the religious and diplomatic dimensions of the visit.

President Bola Tinubu and his wife arrived in London on Tuesday via Stansted Airport to commence the two-day state visit.

According to an official schedule reported by AFP, the engagements will begin on Wednesday with a meeting between the Nigerian leader and King Charles III. The royal itinerary also includes a joint meeting with Prince William and Catherine, Princess of Wales, who are expected to accompany the couple to Windsor.

King Charles will later host President Tinubu at Windsor Castle for a private audience, followed by a state banquet in the evening.

The visit highlights the long-standing diplomatic and economic ties between Nigeria and the United Kingdom, with London remaining home to a large Nigerian diaspora. Both countries deepened relations in November 2024 with a strategic partnership aimed at boosting cooperation in trade, immigration, and security.

Trade between the two nations has also continued to grow, reaching 8.1 billion pounds (approximately $11 billion) in the year to September 2025—an 11.4 per cent increase year-on-year.

Key issues expected to feature in the discussions include British-backed infrastructure projects such as major Nigerian port renovations, as well as broader economic and security collaboration.

On Thursday, the Nigerian president is expected to hold talks with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and engage with members of the Nigerian community in the UK.

Notably absent from the official itinerary is the customary meeting between a visiting head of state and the British opposition.

The ongoing visit is Nigeria’s first formal state visit to the UK since 1989, although President Tinubu previously met King Charles in September 2024. Before ascending the throne, the British monarch visited Nigeria four times as Prince of Wales, reflecting the enduring ties between both nations