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Vol 67 No 4

Published 20th February 2026


Nigeria

Britain plays the King

Abuja is spinning President Tinubu’s stay in the Palace – and warmer ties with the British government – as part of a reset of bilateral relations

On the back foot since President Bola Ahmed Tinubu made France the centrepiece of his foreign policy, Britain is trying to restore its waning relationship with Nigeria. To this end, King Charles III has invited Tinubu for a state visit, the first in 37 years since Queen Elizabeth II hosted military leader General Ibrahim Babangida. Britain’s Prime Minister at the time, Margaret Thatcher, remarked that Babangida, a leading proponent of market reforms, was one of the few politicians in Africa who understood economics. It may be no coincidence that Tinubu has also pushed through his own market reform agenda – ending fuel subsidies and floating the naira. Both men are among the richest leaders on the continent.

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