President Bola Tinubu has returned to Nigeria following a two-day state visit to the United Kingdom.
He arrived in Lagos alongside the First Lady, where he is expected to spend the Sallah break.
The President was welcomed at the airport by top government officials, including his Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, amid cheers from supporters who gathered to receive him.
During the visit, Tinubu held high-level meetings with King Charles III and Keir Starmer, as part of efforts to strengthen diplomatic and economic relations between Nigeria and the UK. He also witnessed the signing of a £746 million financing agreement aimed at modernising key ports in Lagos State.
Wrapping up President Tinubu’s three-day state visit to the United Kingdom, Nigeria and the UK signed three major Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) covering migration partnership, organised immigration crime, border security, and expanded business visa access for UK firms operating in Nigeria.
For the first time, the Nigerian government will recognise UK letters—an identification document issued to individuals without a valid passport—eliminating the need to wait for emergency travel documents before repatriation.
The agreement also makes it easier to remove individuals without legal rights to remain in the UK, including visa overstayers, foreign offenders, and failed asylum seekers. The MoU was signed by the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, UK Home Secretary, Shabana Mahmood, and UK Trade Envoy Florence Eshalomi.
Both countries also agreed to launch joint operations and enhance intelligence sharing to tackle criminal networks exploiting visa routes. In addition, a new standardised document verification system will be introduced to ensure the authenticity of applications.
According to the UK Home Office, the measures follow a series of high-profile incidents involving fake job sponsorships, sham marriages, and forged financial or employment documents.
