As a UK resident, I feel it is an act of public service to educate Nigerians on the economic benefits and costs of the visits. After all, it was a voluntary agreement between two consenting sovereign countries.
The UK is the home country of Adam Smith and David Ricardo, who argue that trade with partners—unlike war—is beneficial to the participating countries. Likewise, history shows that diplomacy is fundamental to a country achieving specific economic goals.
Since World War II, the Royal Family of the UK has served as a diplomatic tool for the British government. The Royal family has extended diplomatic gestures to the Americans, Chinese, Japanese, Ghanaians, South Africans, Saudis, Indians, and every other country they see potential benefits in. During the Cold War, in 1961, Queen Elizabeth II had to fly to Accra to dance with Kwame Nkrumah. The dance alone changed Nkrumah’s mind from making economic deals with the Russians. Tinubu’s visit is no different.
Currently, the UK government is under pressure and eager to satisfy its public. They are facing mid-term local elections in May, and the ruling party is projected to fail miserably. A recent YouGov poll revealed that more than 50 per cent of the British population rank the economy and immigration as the 1st and 2nd most important issues that worry them presently. So, involving the Royals to find solutions to these problems is a wise move.
The biggest deal of Tinubu's London visit involves improvements to the Seaport in Lagos. The UK government reports it will invest £746 million to support the refurbishment of maritime infrastructure facilities at the Lagos Port Complex (Apapa Quays) and the Tin Can Island Port. Yes, in Lagos alone. But Nigeria has seaports in cities other than Lagos. Investing to improve the ports of Onne, Port Harcourt, Calabar, or Warri would have been more beneficial to the country than remaining focused on Lagos alone.
Recall that the construction of the Lekki Deep Sea Port was only completed in 2022 by the Buhari administration at a cost of $1.5 billion. In 2025, the federal government awarded another $1.5 billion contract to dredge the Lekki channel again.
Similarly, the same Apapa and Tin Can Island ports discussed in London have recently had contracts awarded by a UK agency and a bank. In 2024, the NPA secured a $700 million loan from Citibank and the “UK Export Finance” agency for the rehabilitation and modernisation of the Apapa and Tincan Island Ports. In 2025, a $700 million renovation contract was awarded to ITB Nigeria (Chagoury Group). The contract was for terminal modernisation, road access, cargo storage facilities, and quay and jetty upgrades at the same ports on Apapa and Tincan Islands. One wonders how we allow the duplication to occur and where the money goes.
For the UK, the port improvements in Nigeria are a good deal, as they will benefit its steel industry. Presently, the UK steel industry is in severe crisis, with production at its lowest since the 1930s as producers like British Steel face massive losses, high energy costs, and intense global competition. The company is reportedly losing over £700,000 daily. This deal will revive it and make the government look good in the public eye.
Another agreement involved the swift deportation of Nigerians who have overstayed their visit in the UK, those with failed asylum claims, undocumented Nigerian immigrants, and convicted offenders serving prison sentences. This benefits the UK government, knowing immigration is the second most important issue for the British people. High immigration has affected the popularity of this government, especially after it rejected plans to send undocumented immigrants and asylum seekers to Rwanda.
Additionally, the deportation of prisoners cannot come at a better time. The UK prison is heavily congested. About 40,000 prisoners were freed early in 2025 to ease capacity pressures. There were official warnings that male prisons might hit full capacity if action was not taken. There are 961 Nigerian failed asylum seekers, and around 1,110 Nigerian foreign national offenders.
The Tinubu administration agreed to accept the deportation of these Nigerians without weighing the consequences. Obviously, the deportation will make the British ruling party look decisive in the public eye. But has the Tinubu administration made any arrangements for them in Lagos? The country already suffers from prison overcrowding, too. We will wait to see the outcome when they arrive in the next few days.
The education agreement also aligns with the policy to reduce the number of international students entering the country, as a means of reducing immigration. The UK will replace targets for international students with a push for universities to open overseas hubs. The policy will take British education to students in their home countries and increase ‘education exports’ to £40bn a year by 2030. This means those who want foreign degrees will get them without the international experience.
The institutions involved in the agreement include the University of Birmingham, the London School of Economics, the University of the West of England and Coventry University. They will partner with the University of Lagos, Wellington College International Lagos (with 1,500 student places starting in 2027), and the ed‑tech platform EStars (which supports digital learning for millions of students).
On balance, the British Council and Nigeria's Federal Ministry of Art, Culture, Tourism, and Creative Economy will organise the UK/Nigeria Season of Culture in 2028. There are promises of opportunities for businesses, jobs, and education. But Nigeria did not specify the initiatives that will be taken, unlike Britain, which mentions particular companies, the funds it will commit to its investments, the jobs it will provide, and a timeline.
For example, UK government Ministers announced that Zenith Bank at the Manchester branch will create 30 jobs, and around 40 positions at EbonyLife Place in London. Fidbank plans to double its 62‑person workforce in 2026 and add new capital. On investments, LemFi will invest £100 million over five years in the UK, with Nigerian fintechs like Kuda, Moniepoint, and Fidelity Group also expanding. Zenith Bank is considering a 2027 London Stock Exchange listing. The Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority signed an agreement with Asset Green Ltd to strengthen Nigeria’s dairy value chain. UK companies will benefit too: Ovaltine is opening a £24 million factory in Lagos, its first in Africa, creating 100+ jobs for the Brits.
The Brits have done their homework, with specific plans in place before inviting Nigeria. But it is obvious that Nigeria attended the state visit to achieve goals unrelated to creating specific opportunities for emerging companies in sectors in the media, entertainment, and fintech sectors. One cannot categorise the British government as having targeted a zero-sum agreement, where one person loses and the other wins. No. It is just that Nigeria lacks specific initiatives that will benefit its local economy.