King says UK 'blessed' by Nigerian influence as he hosts state banquet for President Tinubu and the first lady

The King has paid tribute to the contribution of people of Nigerian heritage as he held a state banquet for the country's president.

President Bola Tinubu and his wife Oluremi Tinubu are in the UK for a two-day state visit.

The King said Britain was "blessed" that many people of Nigerian heritage are "at the heart of British life through excelling at the highest levels of business, technology, academia, law, science, sport, literature and the arts, and public service".

He said he had met "so many of these quiet heroes in our schools, businesses, National Health Service and universities".

"From Afrobeats filling our concert halls and Nollywood captivating our screens, to stars competing in our Premier League and adjudicating our highest courts, so much of Britain's culture is, in truth, profoundly enriched by Nigeria," said the King.

Guests at the banquet tucked into a menu that included quail egg tartlet, fillet of turbot, lobster mousse wrapped in spinach, and iced blackcurrant souffle.

A mocktail called Crimson Bloom was also served, using West African beverage Zobo and other ingredients.

President Tinubu is Muslim, so he did his toast with a soft drink, and the King also wished him "Ramadan Mubarak" to mark the end of the Islamic holy month.

Alcohol was available at the banquet for those who wanted it.

The King last visited Nigeria - a country of some 230 million people - in 2018.

He told guests at tonight's banquet that the country had "arrived" and was "transforming at a remarkable pace".

The Nigerian dignitaries were earlier welcomed to Windsor by the King and Queen and the Prince and Princess of Wales.

There was an impressive guard of honour and a carriage ride in the sunshine.

Nigerian and Union flags also adorned the streets of the Berkshire town for what is the first state visit by a Nigerian head of state for 37 years.

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The King and his visitors later viewed items from the royal collection and met organisations promoting dialogue between different faiths at an event in The Vicars' Hall.

Representatives from the Mosaic programme, set up by The King's Trust charity, were part of the gathering.

The scheme brings together Muslim men and women in positions of religious authority - from across ethnic and theological differences - for a leadership programme.

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