₦airaland Forum

Nigerian leaders' state visits to the UK.

There are many types of visits that a head of state can ubdertake and they include state visit, official visit, an official working visit, a working visit, a guest-of-government visit, or a private visit.

A state visit is the highest level of visit that a head of state can undertake. It is a full ceremonial visit.

In the United Kingdom, the monarch (King or Queen) is the host during a state visit. The visiting head of state receives the 41 gun salute by the King's Troop Royal Horse Artillery, he also receives the royal salute (national anthems), inspects the guards and is taken to the residence (Buckingham Palace or Windsor Castle) in a royal procession (the visiting head of state and his delegation ride in royal carriages).

There is also a state banquet at which toasts are proposed.

The prime minister of the UK is the host for official and working visits and these visits have less ceremony and more business-like meetings.


There have been 3 state visits to the UK by Nigerian heads of state, General Yakubu Gowon paid a state visit from June 12th to 15th 1973, President Shehu Shagari paid a state visit to the UK from March 17th to 20th, 1981 and President Ibrahim Babangida paid a state visit to the UK from May 9th to May 12th, 1989.

President Bola Tinubu begins the 4th state visit to the UK by a Nigerian head of state today.

This thread contains details of those visits.

President Ibrahim Babangida’s State Visit To Britain In 1989


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


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.

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 ).

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.

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.

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.


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.

Photo 1) President Ibrahim Babangida and Queen Elizabeth II in the carriage during the royal procession.

Photo 2) Queen Elizabeth awarded President Babangida the Knight Grand Cross of the Bath (KGCB), while President Babangida awarded Queen Elizabeth the Grand Commander of the Federal Republic (GCFR)

Photo 3) Mrs Maryam Babangida was pregnant with Halima at the time

Photo 4) President Babangida shaking Princess Diana's hand

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.

Photo) President Babangida and Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher at Number 10, Downing Street.


President Babangida inspecting the guards at Whitehall.

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.

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).

Photos.

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

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.

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

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

Photos

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.

Photos

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 proposing a toast during the banquet at Guildhall.

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

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

President and Mrs Babangida welcome Princess Diana to Claridges Hotel.

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

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

Ok, no need to glory this at all.

How many times has Queen hosted presidents of China and India in a state visit during her entire reign .

For kind mention a OBI or Atiku would happily join and participate .

NIGERIAN POLITICIANS OF ALL TRIBES AND RELIGION ARE SLAVES TO UK 🇬🇧.

Bola Ahmed is doing this to fine favor in the sight of our colonial masters

Like, all is well with the estate called Nigeria

Those bombings are just mere fumigation, the estate is fine

Another thread for wailers to wail over.. some will never see anything positive in this state visit because it’s Tinubu not their favorite

In the past these state visits usually took place in Central London. The royal procession usually went from Victoria Station to Buckingham Palace. In recent years the visits have been held at Windsor.

Boko boys just bomb maduguri.....the leaders should not forget to pay a state visit

BlocksNG:
Boko Haram bombed the hell outta maduguri yesterday, this silly man doesn't even say anything about it, ewure.

Na him go bomb am ?
Eleregbe

BlocksNG:
Boko Haram bombed the hell outta maduguri yesterday, this silly man doesn't even say anything about it, ewure.

Maiduguri is a city under a state in Nigeria, the Governor of the state should also be accountable for whatever security issues in the state. IRE OOO

My own is this; this state visit, how much will it cost the taxpayers? Is it money we have right now? I believe we can use the money in fighting insecurities all around us.

Will they visit or seek for the release of organ harvester, Ike Ekweremadu?

The junkie better sit his a** down before he go and disgrace us by falling down like my village drunk

Those were the times when Nigeria was truly "The Giant of Africa" and a pride of the black race.

Hopefully, Nigeria is beginning on the path of regaining her lost glory.

The challenges before our dear country remain enormous but not insurmountable.

It can only get better!




@hotseat

Na prayer sha say make Tinubu no go fall yakata again in the UK.

As yourselves this question, isn't this a facade? Other countries visit other countries and bring investors .. we keep on visiting and the investors left in nigeria keep leaving

Openyamind111:
Another thread for wailers to wail over.. some will never see anything positive in this state visit.

You observed well bro 🙏
What and where did Babangida 8- yrs of wasted Money and Nigerians resources led us?
Here is a man who used 8- years to dribble Nigerians and all the Multi-BILLIONS earmarked for that elections went down the drain because of greed, selfishness and end up- saying ' he stepped aside' by giving his Abacha brother permission to continue looting Nigeria so much that Foreign Countries are still Repatriating Back-Money Stolen from this Country!
So,OP Netu2- why wastes your time and energy in telling us what we already know,for we are not novices in Nigeria history!
Just tell us - Why Tinubu visits to King Charles Britain is important Now.

Thank God say my company dey provide free bus to and from my bus stop.

I wonder how those without company buses dey cope in these time of fuel hikes

🤣 And derailers will open threads to cry and ask why I block them.

History is one of the best subject that must be supported and taught well in schools. Without it you will continue to beat around the bush. History has shown that the Brits has nothing to offer and these state visits are nothing but a avenue to put the slaves on check and to pass a clear message that we are still in control. Sovereign nation my foot!

This picture goes hard ... Lovely history