President Bola Tinubu has reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to strengthening bilateral relations with the United Kingdom, particularly in security cooperation, economic growth, and shared democratic values between the two countries.
The President made this remark late Wednesday during a State Banquet organized in his honour by King Charles III of England at Windsor Castle
Tinubu, who is on state visit to the UK, described the engagement as historical in that it reaffirmed enduring ties between Nigeria and the UK based on shared history, mutual respect, and a collective vision for progress and global stability.
According to him, Nigeria and the UK share common democratic ideals, which require that both countries should continue to work together for the purposes of promoting peace, prosperity, and institutional development.
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The President said: “It is a profound honour to stand before you today, representing the people of Nigeria as we reaffirm the enduring bonds of friendship, history, and shared purpose.”
He stressed that beyond institutions, people-to-people connections remained the strongest tie between Nigeria and the UK, using the contributions of Nigerians in the United Kingdom across critical sectors to justify his stance
For instance, Tinubu noted that Nigerians in the UK had been positively impacting the country’s healthcare, business, sports, and public service, adding that Nigeria is fully committed to playing a leading role within the Commonwealth, leveraging the platform to advance cooperation, trade, and collective development among member states.
The President, who maintained that Nigeria had been contending with terrorism challenges, particularly those linked to instability in the Sahel, pointed out that in confronting these threats, partnership with the UK remained critical.
He expressed optimism about Nigeria’s promising future as a resilient and innovative country with huge youthful population positioned to help realise its full economic and social potential.
In his remarks, King Charles III described Nigeria as an economic hub and cultural force with growing global influence and acknowledged that Nigerians in the UK had been making contributions to the country’s growth..
He enthused: “We are blessed that so many people of Nigerian heritage are now at the heart of British life.”
While highlighting the growing economic ties between Nigeria and the UK characterized by increasing trade, investment flows and partnerships between institutions and businesses, the monarch also recalled historical complexities in the relationship between both nations, stressing the need to partner on a future anchored on trust, cooperation and shared values.
