It will be the first state visit by a Nigerian leader to Britain in 37 years. The last Nigerian state visit, considered one of Britain’s most important diplomatic tools, took place in 1989 when then-military ruler Ibrahim Babangida met Queen Elizabeth II. “It’s the first time since Nigeria returned to democracy [in 1999] that a democratically elected Nigerian head of state is being afforded this honour by the British monarchy,” said Ikenna Okonkwo, data integrity lead at the Nigerian intelligence consultancy SBM Intelligence. 6bn) in the year to October. ” Tinubu, a trained accountant and former Mobil oil executive who is in his 70s, took office in May 2023 after a tightly contested election. According to official figures, more than 270,000 people in the UK were born in Nigeria.