President Ibrahim Babangida’s State Visit To Britain In 1989 (Photos, Video and Memories)

There have been 3 state visits by Nigerian heads of state to the United Kingdom. The first state visit occurred in June 1973, when General Yakubu Gowon paid a state visit, the second was in March 1981 when President Shagari visited and the last state visit was in May 1989, when General Ibrahim Babangida paid a 4-day state visit to Great Britain. The third visit is the subject of this thread.

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Relations between Nigeria and the United Kingdom had been poor during the administration of General Muhammadu Buhari. The Nigerian Government attempted to kidnap the former Nigerian minister of transport, Alhaji Umaru Dikko, who had been accused of corruption and whom Britain refused to extradite to Nigeria, in 1984. Britain subsequently detained a Nigerian Airways plane at Stanstead Airport and Nigeria detained a British Caledonian Airways plane at the Murtala Muhammad Airport in Lagos. The standoff lasted for 2 days. These incidents greatly damaged relations between the British Government and the administration of Major General Muhammadu Buhari.

Relations greatly improved when General Ibrahim Babangida took over. The British company, Vickers-Armstrong, developed a main battle tank that they hoped to sell to the British Army. The tank was called the Vickers MK3. However, the British Army chose to go with the Challenger Tank Project and the British Government of Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher was assisting Vickers to search for buyers. Nigeria was one of the biggest buyers of the tank. Over 136 Vickers MK Eagle tanks were delivered to Nigeria between 1985 and 1995, in a deal that was struck between Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and President Ibrahim Babangida.

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Mrs Thatcher visited Nigeria in January 1988. Students of the University of Ife and members of the Nigerian Labour Congress protested during her visit because Mrs Thatcher had called Nelson Mandela a terrorist, because she was close to Pieter Botha (the hated prime minister of South Africa) and also because of her support for IMF policies in Nigeria.

President Ibrahim Babangida paid a state visit to Britain in 1989 and Mrs Thatcher paid a stopover visit to Lagos in March of that same year. Prince Philip also visited Nigeria that year and he laid the foundation stone of the Muson Centre in Onikan during the visit.

Finally, Prince Charles and Princess Diana visited Nigeria in 1990 (you can see my thread about the Prince and Princess’ visit here https://www.nairaland.com/2424327/prince-charles-princess-diana-nigeria ).

The pictures on this thread are from Gregnwoko.com (http://www.gregnwoko.com/1989-05-09-diana-greets-president-ibrahim-babangida-of-nigeria-at-victoria-station-while-the-queen-looks-on/), Alamy pictures (https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-politics-state-visit-to-britain-president-babangida-buckingham-palace-107845465.html), Getty Images and Shutterstock.

President Ibrahim Babangida and Mrs Maryam Babangida departed Lagos on Tuesday, May 9th, 1989 at the start of their state visit to the UK. They were seen off at the Murtala Muhammad Airport by the chief of general staff, Vice Admiral Augustus Aikhomu and Mrs Rebecca Aikhomu. In the delegation were the minister of foreign affairs, Alhaji Rilwanu Lukman, the minister of information and culture, Prince Tony Momoh and the minister of finance, Alhaji Abubakar Alhaji (Tripple A).

Mrs Babangida was pregnant with Halima at this time. In fact (if I remember correctly), this was her first major public engagement after it was announced that she was pregnant.

General and Mrs Babangida arrived Stanstead Airport later that day and they were welcomed by the Lord Mayor of London, Sir Christopher Collet and his wife. The president and Mrs Babangida then boarded the royal train to Victoria Station where members of the Royal Family were waiting to receive them.

President and Mrs Babangida arrived Victoria Station and the President shook hands with the Queen and Mrs Babangida curtsied and shook hands with the Queen. The Queen and Prince Philip then introduced members of the Royal Family to President and Mrs Babangida. Officers and men of the Household Division of the British Army then rendered the royal salute (Arise O Compatriots and then God Save The Queen) as officers and men of the King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery gave a 41 gun salute at Hyde Park. President Babangida then inspected the troops.

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The Queen and Princess Diana, waiting at Victoria Station for the arrival of President and Mrs Babangida

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Princess Diana and Princess Margaret (the Queen’s daughter in law and the Queen’s sister), waiting at Victoria Station for the arrival of President and Mrs Babangida.

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Queen Elizabeth introduces Princess Diana to President Babangida.

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Royal salute. Prince Charles and Princess Diana stand at attention.

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41 gun salute by the King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery at Hyde Park. This is from an unrelated event. A 21 gun salute is fired for a head of state. An extra 20 guns are added because it’s being fired from a royal park.

Two of the ADCs that were on duty during this trip have very interesting stories. President Babangida’s ADC was Lieutenant Colonel Usman Kakanda (UK) Bello, who died on Ikoyi Road during the Orkar Coup less than a year later. One of the Queen’s equerries at this occasion was Commander Timothy Laurence. Love letters that Commander Laurence wrote to the Queen’s daughter, Princess Anne (the Princess Royal) were stolen from Buckingham Palace and published in the Sun Newspaper (the newspaper did not reveal who the author was). The Princess Royal’s marriage to Commander Mark Philips was rumoured to be in trouble at the time. Commander Timothy Laurence eventually married the Princess Royal and he eventually retired from the navy after attaining the rank of Vice Admiral and being knighted by the Queen.

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The Queen’s equerry (ADC), Commander Timothy Laurence, on duty during the state visit of President Babangida to the United Kingdom in 1989.

Troops from the British Army, the Royal Navy, the Royal Air Force and the Royal Marines had earlier lined the streets from Victoria Station to Buckingham Palace and there were British and Nigerian flags all along the Mall.

The Queen, President Babangida, members of the Royal Family and members of President Babangida’s entourage then got into carriages for the start of the royal procession. President Babangida and the Queen were in a carriage; Prince Philip and Maryam Babangida were in another carriage, Babangida’s ministers were in another carriage and members of the Royal Family were also in carriages for the procession to Buckingham Palace.

My sister expressed surprise that the carriage did not collapse under the weight of Alhaji Abubakar Alhaji, the Nigerian minister of finance. If you know Triple A, you would know that he was a rotund man and so my sister thought that the carriage would not be able to withstand his weight.

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Video: The video begins with the royal salute at Victoria Station (Arise O Compatriots). I told someone that that was the best rendition of the anthem that I had ever heard. You can see the troops presenting arms and President Babangida and the Queen in front of them. Behind the President and the Queen are Prince Philip and Maryam Babangida and behind them are the President’s ADC and the Queen’s equerry. Other members of the Royal Family are to the left of the video.

Then we see the procession. The crowd cheers as the royal carriage goes by. The streets are lined with troops and they render royal salutes as the carriage passes by. Finally the carriage arrives Buckingham Palace and the President and the Queen disembark and stand in front of the doors, facing the photographers.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ifwt83pJwA

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The NTA had a new news programme called NewsLine and the visit was covered in special editions of NewsLine that were shown even though it was not a Sunday. NewsLine was hosted by Yinka Craig and Patrick Oke at the time and I couldn’t tell if they were in Lagos or London. The backdrop was the Mall and I didn’t know if it was a video screen, an actual window or if it was done using computer effects. They showed the arrival ceremonies and the procession to Buckingham Palace. They also showed highlights of the state banquet the next day.

The Queen hosted a state banquet at Buckingham Palace that night in honour of President Babangida. The Queen conferred the honour of Knight Grand Cross of the Bath (KGCB) on President Babangida, while the president awarded the honour of Grand Commander of the Federal Republic (GCFR) on the Queen. The president and the Queen also exchanged toasts.

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Prince Charles, Princess Diana and other members of the Royal Family at the state banquet in honour of President Babangida at Buckingham Palace.

President Babangida visited Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher at 10 Downing Street, where they discussed the second batch of tanks to be sold to Nigeria, aid, Nigeria’s debts, apartheid in South Africa and other issues. The President also inspected the guards at Whitehall.

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Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and President Ibrahim Babangida at 10 Downing Street in 1989.

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President Babangida inspecting the guards at Whitehall.

The Lord Mayor of London, Sir Christopher Collet, hosted a banquet at Guildhall in honour of President Babangida on May 10.

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President Babangida proposing a toast during the banquet at Guildhall.

President Babangida hosted a banquet at Claridges Hotel in honour of the Queen on May 11. You can see the President and the Queen wearing their KGCB and GCFR sashes respectively.

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President and Mrs Babangida at Claridges Hotel for the banquet that they hosted in honour of the Queen.

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Princess Diana arrives Claridges Hotel for the banquet that was hosted by President Ibrahim Babangida.

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President and Mrs Babangida welcome Princess Diana to Claridges Hotel.

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President Babangida and Queen Elizabeth at the banquet given by President Babangida in honour of Queen Elizabeth.

The president also met with some Nigerians living in the UK. This was at the Nigerian High Commission. If I remember correctly, some Nigerians planned to stage a protest at the event, but they were not successful. Mrs Babangida also had some engagements on her own during the visit, but I can’t remember what they were.

President and Mrs Babangida returned to Nigeria on May 12th, 1989.
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Queen Elizabeth saying farewell to President Babangida on May 12th, 1989.

General Yakubu Gowon’s state visit to the UK in 1973 (video)

We see General Gowon exit the train from Gatwick Airport to Victoria Station. He salutes and shakes hands with the Queen. Mrs Victoria Gowon curtseys to the Queen. General Gowon and Prince Philip exchange salutes. They are both in uniform. Then General Gowon salutes and shakes hands with Princess Margaret (the Queen’s sister). Then we see senior military officers and lords spiritual and temporal and the Duke of Kent. Then the Queen and General Gowon exit Victoria Station. There is a large group of Nigerians in the distance and General Gowon waves to them as he exits the station and they wave their Nigerian flags.

General Gowon and the Queen board the carriage outside the station and we can see a guard of honour on the other side of the street. The guards render a royal salute as the carriage starts moving. Don’t be confused by the tune, that’s Nigeria’s former anthem, “Nigeria We Hail Thee”. There’s another group of Nigerians on the roadside and General Gowon waves to them as the carriage goes past.



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=poQEZ-WGjI0

President Shehu Shagari’s state visit to the UK in 1981.

This is an ITN News report.

The video begins with a royal procession into the banquet hall for the state banquet. The Queen and President Shagari are ushered into the hall. Behind them is Prince Philip the Duke of Edinburgh and behind Prince Philip is Archbishop Robert Runcie and Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother. Next in line are Prince Charles and Princess Diana.

Then we see the president arriving Victoria Station on the royal train (this was much earlier of course). We see Nigerian officials, including the legendary Alhaji Yusuf Maitama Sule. The President and the Queen board the royal coach and we hear the commander of the guards give the order for a royal salute, but we do not hear the anthems. Instead we see the procession as it is already underway.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dIUb2yg-h3s

The sale of the tanks became controversial. Sometime around 1993, I listened to a question posed by a Labour member of Parliament to the British Prime Minister, John Major about those tanks. He asked how a Conservative government could have sold tanks to a military dictatorship in Nigeria and whether the prime minister was aware that those tanks were used to subvert democracy in a coup (I assume that he was referring to the 1992 SAP riots and the 1993 June 12 riots).

When the going was good for us as a nation...

This was when the whites recognized and respected Nigeria, not now...

NIGERIA, which way na.

I weep for Nigeria o.

we have lost that respect

Good old memories

Something has really gone wrong with this Country.

God restore our lost Glory.

HaryoBamex:
When the going was good for us as a nation...

This was when the whites recognized and respected Nigeria, not now...

NIGERIA, which way na.

I weep for Nigeria o.

Except you are a late 90's kid, you would know that Nigeria was already shitty at the time ruled by a highly corrupt, antidemocratic dictator. Low population and some level of steadiness in government institutions at the time made it seem like it was better.

With a rising population faced with fewer opportunities and resources looted by the minority elites, everything else collapsed.

I can't imagine how horrible Nigeria would be in 2050 when we are expected to be 400 million with same set of lunatics ruling us.

Good ol' days
Mgbe elu wu ala osa boy

those were our glorious days The rest is history

HaryoBamex:
When the going was good for us as a nation...

This was when the whites recognized and respected Nigeria, not now...

NIGERIA, which way na.

I weep for Nigeria o.

You think the going was good or that's when they finally sold off the country?

Show the recent official visit and how they were welcomed. Nigeria don cast finish. Bad government ruined this country.

Good old days when Nigeria's reputation abroad was almost pristine and unblotted by herdsmen, boko haram, yahoo Yahoo, kidnapping and the ilks.

Meanwhile this picture of Prince Charles and Diana speaks volume of the silent feud in their marriage, Diana particularly might be eying her Arabian born billionaire boyfriend while prince Charles resigned himself to fate with his forlorn appearance.

If my memory serves me right the last time a Nigerian president visited that country was when a certain herdsman developed hearing problems and the Queen was like I can't coman waste my time on someone that can't hear very well from a fantastically corrupt country

When we had presidents who were full of life. Today we see lifelessness all over.

Maradona himself

Babangida was never President, he was a hard-nose and corrupt dictator.

Look at how agile queen Elizabeth was.

We were once respected globally.
Then came drug dealers and yahoo yahoo exponents.

Now, there was a country.

Good old days when naijiriya was NIGERIA.

I used to feel bad anytime my Dad is telling us about how everything was going well with the country back in the days

for example, how UTC have already given him and his classmates job during their final year in school.

how you can full your store with quality foodstuffs with just a couple of shillings.

people got married at a very early age those days but the days, men close to their 40s are running away from marriage like it's one kind of deadly disease.

Nigeria is dead and buried.

Secession or Revolution is the solution....

Nice share !

I can see queen Elizabeth had a crush on Babangida

When our Presidents still get respect






No be now, na cameo Queen dey do for dem

Buhari manu eo "ehn ehn" nr "ehn ehn"ey

I forgot to mention this.

There are different kinds of trips that heads of state make.

1) A state visit is a ceremonial visit. It includes things like 21 gun salute, inspection of troops, state banquets, etc.

2) A working visit is a business visit. There's very little ceremony during a working visit.

In the UK, a head of state that pays a state visit is a guest of the Queen, while a head of state or head of government that pays a working visit is a guest of the prime minister.

3) A stopover visit is a very short visit that occurs usually when they need to refuel a head of state's plane. The visiting head of state usually does not leave the airport.


4) A general summit or general assembly occurs when many heads of state meet. The ceremonies are often reduced because of the sheer number of heads of state that are present.

YungMillionaire:
Babangida was not President, he was dictator.

A confirm dictator

Leave them..the country wasn't eazy den ,but the country was just respected

There was a country

Boohary's visit in 2015

Though most of these state visits to Britain happened during the military dictators era, Nigeria still has respect before these imperialists.

The tyrannt on seat today have made us repulsive to Britain while he always goes there to seek healthcare.