President Bola Tinubu has concluded his two-day state visit to the United Kingdom without a scheduled engagement with the leader of the British Conservative Party, Kemi Badenoch.
During the visit, Tinubu and First Lady Oluremi Tinubu met with King Charles and Queen Camilla, discussing interfaith organisations, and attended a banquet at Windsor Castle on Wednesday.
On Thursday, Tinubu held talks with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer at 10 Downing Street. According to PUNCH Diaspora Tales, it is customary for visiting heads of state to meet opposition leaders during official trips. However, Badenoch was not formally introduced at the St George Hall event.
Badenoch, who has Nigerian ancestry, has previously criticised Nigeria publicly, including allegations that she was once robbed by policemen in the country. She sparked further debate last year when she stated:
“I know the country very well, I have a lot of family there, and I’m very interested in what happens there. But home is where my now family is. I don’t identify with it anymore. Most of my life has been in the UK and I’ve just never felt the need to. I’m Nigerian through ancestry, by birth, despite not being born there because of my parents… but by identity, I’m not really.”
Vice President Kashim Shettima reacted to Badenoch’s remarks, cautioning her against “denigrating” Nigeria. His comments elicited mixed reactions from Nigerians online.
The state visit also featured Nigerian Afrobeats singer Tiwa Savage on Wednesday and British-Nigerian rugby player Maro Itoje.
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Tinubu was accompanied by a 17-member delegation, including Senate President Godswill Akpabio; Attorney General Lateef Fagbemi; ministers Dele Alake (Solid Minerals), Idris Mohammed (Information), Wale Edun (Finance), Jumoke Oduwole (Industry, Trade and Investment), Hannatu Musawa (Culture), Bosun Tijani (Communications), and Bianca Ojukwu (State for Foreign Affairs).
Also present were Chief of Defence Staff General Christopher Musa (retd.), National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu, and National Intelligence Agency Director-General Mohammed Mohammed.
The visit focused on strengthening bilateral ties and transforming Nigeria–UK relations into a modern economic partnership.