King Charles III on Wednesday praised Britain's "partnership of equals" with Nigeria as he hosted a banquet for President Bola Tinubu during the first state visit by the leader of Africa's most populous nation in nearly four decades.
But referring to Nigeria's past as a British colony, Charles acknowledged "chapters in our shared history that I know have left painful marks", saying that "no words" could dissolve these.
The banquet in the historic Windsor Castle west of London saw Charles and Queen Camilla host Tinubu and his wife as well as Nigerian officials, bankers and business people and sports stars and cultural figures with Nigerian heritage.
Britain and Nigeria have a "deep bond" and a "partnership of equals that has brought us both enormous benefits," the king said in his opening speech.
"Our two nations share a vision of progress" based on "mutual respect and common values", Tinubu told the king in his speech, stating he was the first Nigerian leader ever to speak at Windsor Castle.
Charles described Nigeria as an "economic powerhouse" and said it "has not merely changed, it has arrived."
"Nigeria is investing in Britain's future as much as Britain is investing in Nigeria's", the king said, giving examples of Nigerian banks based in the City of London and British export finance supporting investment in Nigeria's ports.
Attending the banquet were Nigerian ministers and finance figures such as CEO of fintech bank Moniepoint, Tosin Eniolorunda.
Tinubu has made less formal visits to Britain several times in his tenure and the two countries remain major partners in trade, aid and defence. London is also home to a huge Nigerian diaspora.
Celebrities with Nigerian heritage at the dinner included sports stars such as England rugby captain Maro Itoje, Olympic 400m champion Christine Ohuruogo and former England footballer Eniola Aluko.
Arts figures included writer Ben Okri and Tiwa Savage, one of Nigeria’s biggest Afrobeats stars.
Charles described such figures with connections to both Britain and Nigeria as a "living bridge" between the countries, calling Nigerians "quiet heroes" at "the heart of British life".
Tinubu said "our people remain the strongest bridge between our two countries," citing areas including healthcare and sport.
The Nigerian president is Muslim and King Charles thanked him for travelling during Ramadan which he said was "no small sacrifice" and wished him "Ramadan Mubarak".
This was the first state banquet during Ramadan hosting a Muslim head of state since 1928, with adjustments such as a prayer room for guests and iftar before the dinner.
Charles and Camilla earlier greeted the president and his wife in Windsor, west of London, on a sunny afternoon as artillery fired salutes.
Nigerian flags and Union Jacks fluttered on poles along Windsor's main street.
At Windsor Castle, Charles and Tinubu inspected a guard of honour in traditional bearskin hats.
In nods to Nigerian culture, Charles referred to his most recent visit to Nigeria in 2018 and began and ended his banquet speech with phrases in the Nigerian native language Yoruba and Pidjin, which is based on English.
The Nigerian president responded to the king's greeting in Yoruba by laughing and clapping.
Tinubu said he was looking forward to a meeting on Thursday with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who attended the state banquet. He was also due to meet members of the Nigerian community abroad, according to the official schedule.
The last Nigerian state visit to the UK took place in 1989, although Tinubu was received by Charles in September 2024.
Before the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, in 2022, Charles also visited Nigeria four times as Prince of Wales, most recently in 2018.
