Nigeria–UK Relations: A Historic Royal Invitation-
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, in a major diplomatic recognition and acknowledgement, has been invited by the King of England, King Charles III, to visit Buckingham Palace in March 2026. The last time a Nigerian Head of State was invited to Buckingham Palace was in 1988—about 37 years ago—when General Ibrahim Babangida was Military President of Nigeria during the reign of Queen Elizabeth II, the mother of King Charles III.
In 1861, the United Kingdom established the Colony of Lagos. Later, in 1884, European powers such as Germany, France, Spain, Portugal, and the United Kingdom convened in Berlin, Germany, and decided to partition Africa amongst themselves to end years of conflict and rivalry over territorial control. By about 1880, the Niger Delta Protectorate was established, and the United Kingdom launched expeditionary military campaigns to consolidate territories allotted to it after the Berlin Conference.
In 1897, a British military force attacked the Benin Kingdom in Southern Nigeria, sacked and looted it, and exiled its revered monarch to Calabar. Several other campaigns were carried out in Northern Nigeria—such as in Sokoto and Bida—as well as in Southern Nigeria, where resistance was fierce in the old Eastern Region.
By 1901, the Protectorates of Northern and Southern Nigeria were formally established by the United Kingdom. In 1914, the Colony of Lagos and the Protectorates of Northern and Southern Nigeria were amalgamated to form the Federation of Nigeria. Nigeria eventually gained independence from the United Kingdom in 1960.
The forthcoming visit of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and his wife to Buckingham Palace will undoubtedly cement the cordial relationship that has long existed between the United Kingdom and Nigeria. It marks a continuation of historic ties and a renewed chapter in diplomatic relations.
Congratulations to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
* Okoi Obono-Obla
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