On Wednesday, President Bola Tinubu was warmly welcomed by His Majesty King Charles III at Buckingham Palace for a private meeting, underscoring the enduring relationship between Nigeria and the United Kingdom.
This marks the first encounter between the two leaders since their meeting at the COP 28 Climate Summit in Dubai last year. At the King's request, their discussions centered on global and regional priorities, with a particular focus on the urgent and complex challenges posed by climate change.
Tinubu and His Majesty also explored opportunities for collaboration in anticipation of the upcoming COP 29 Summit in Azerbaijan and the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Samoa.
The president reiterated Nigeria’s firm commitment to addressing climate change in a manner that aligns with the country’s energy security objectives whilst affirming Nigeria’s readiness to adopt global strategies for sustainability.
During their dialogue, the two leaders shared ideas for innovative approaches to climate financing and funding, expressing mutual interest in strengthening partnerships by harnessing Nigeria’s leadership position in Africa and the Commonwealth according to a statement by Bayo Onanuga Special Adviser to the President (Information and Strategy).
Meanwhile, Nigeria is to reap about N589 billion (£272.6 million) from eight partnership agreements it signed with the United Kingdom in Abuja.
The program implementation agreements signed by the Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Senator Abubakar Bagudu, and the UK Charge d’ Affaires, Ms Cynthia Rowe, commit both countries to collaboration in critical sectors, including governance, climate change, education, health, and the economy.