King Charles III praised the United Kingdom's "partnership of equals" with Nigeria, as he hosted a banquet for President Bola Tinubu, who will meet with Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Thursday.
Wednesday evening's banquet at Windsor Castle, west of London, saw King Charles and Queen Camilla host Tinubu and his wife as well as Nigerian officials, bankers and business people, and sports stars and cultural figures with Nigerian heritage.
The UK and its former colony have a "deep bond" and a "partnership of equals that has brought us both enormous benefits," the king said in his opening speech.
"Our two nations share a vision of progress" based on "mutual respect and common values", Tinubu told the king in his speech, noting that he was the first Nigerian leader ever to speak at Windsor Castle.
With trade between the two countries at a record high, King Charles is using the two-day visit to highlight the two countries' cultural and commercial links.
He described Nigeria as an "economic powerhouse" and said it "has not merely changed, it has arrived".
"Nigeria is investing in Britain's future as much as Britain is investing in Nigeria's", the king said, giving examples of Nigerian banks based in the City of London and British export finance supporting investment in Nigeria's ports.
Meeting with PM
Tinubu is to have a meeting on Thursday with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who also attended the state banquet. He was also due to meet members of the Nigerian diaspora, according to the official schedule.
Nigeria's First Lady Oluremi Tinubu, a Christian pastor, is set to preach at London's Lambeth Palace – the seat of the Archbishop of Canterbury – on Thursday, and meet with representatives of the Church of England.
British Royals receive Nigeria's President Bola Tinubu in Windsor
Missing from the official schedule is the traditional meeting between the visiting head of state and the British opposition. However, Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch, who is of Nigerian descent, was a guest at Wednesday's banquet.
She has repeatedly publicly criticised the country she was raised in over corruption and violence.
'Bridge between countries'
The last Nigerian state visit to the UK took place in 1989, although Tinubu has made less formal visits – notably to Buckingham Palace in September 2024.
Britain is home to a large Nigerian diaspora, with around 300,000 Nigerians living in the UK.
Tinubu said: "Our people remain the strongest bridge between our two countries," citing areas including healthcare and sport.
The Nigerian president is Muslim and King Charles thanked him for travelling during Ramadan which he said was "no small sacrifice" and wished him "Ramadan Mubarak".
This was the first state banquet during Ramadan hosting a Muslim head of state since 1928, with adjustments such as a prayer room for guests and iftar – the meal served at sunset to break the daily fast – before the dinner.
King Charles, who most recently visited Nigeria in 2018, started and ended his banquet speech with phrases in the Nigerian native language Yoruba and in Pidjin, which is based on English.
Referring to Nigeria's past as a British colony, he acknowledged "chapters in our shared history that I know have left painful marks", adding that "no words" could erase these.
(with newswires)
