Oluremi Tinubu to Preach at Lambeth Palace as Nigeria Begins Historic UK State Visit

Nigeria’s First Lady, Oluremi Tinubu, is set to deliver a sermon at Lambeth Palace in London on Thursday, marking a significant highlight of Nigeria’s first state visit to the United Kingdom in nearly 40 years.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the First Lady arrived at Stansted Airport on Tuesday to commence the high-level diplomatic engagement.

According to the official itinerary, the First Lady will also meet with representatives of the Church of England on the same day of her scheduled preaching.

Ahead of the event, President Tinubu and his wife are expected to meet King Charles III on Wednesday, alongside the Prince and Princess of Wales, Prince William and Catherine, Princess of Wales. The royal engagements will include a visit to Windsor and a state banquet later in the evening at Windsor Castle.

The visit underscores the longstanding diplomatic and economic ties between Nigeria and the United Kingdom, with both nations strengthening cooperation through a strategic partnership signed in November 2024. Trade between the two countries reached £8.1 billion in the year ending September 2025, reflecting an 11.4 per cent increase.

Discussions during the visit are expected to focus on key areas including trade, security, and infrastructure development, particularly British-backed Nigerian port renovation projects.

The state visit comes amid heightened security concerns in Nigeria following recent attacks in the northeast. In response, President Tinubu has directed security chiefs to relocate to Maiduguri to oversee operations and stabilise the region.

On Thursday, the Nigerian leader is also scheduled to meet British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, as well as members of the Nigerian diaspora in the UK.

The last Nigerian state visit to the United Kingdom took place in 1989, making this engagement a historic moment in bilateral relations between both countries.