King Charles III hosted a reception for the Nigerian Diaspora in the UK, a celebratory prelude to the historic state visit of President Bola Tinubu scheduled for next week. This was a full blown celebration of Nigerian excellence complete with the aroma of party jollof and the soulful sounds of the Afrobeats Orchestra.
In the photos shared by the Royal Family, King Charles looked very happy. The King was seen engaging warmly with Nigerians.
“It was a wonderful evening,” the Royal Family’s official statement noted, specifically thanking everyone who joined.”
This was a major event to show respect to the millions of Nigerians who help keep the UK running. From doctors and nurses to tech kings and music stars, the “crème de la crème” of the Nigerian community was there to represent the green-white-green.
The UK government is rolling out the red carpet to discuss trade, security, and the “Japa” trend that has seen thousands of Nigerian professionals move to British shores.
The Palace served Jollof rice the legendary African dish and the Dele Sosimi Afrobeats Orchestra provided the music.
Nigeria is a member of the Commonwealth, a group of 56 countries that work together. King Charles III doesn’t rule Nigeria, but he maintains a close friendship with the country.
The British Throne didn’t start its relationship with Nigeria as a government. It started with business. In the 1800s, British companies came to the coast of West Africa to trade things like palm oil and ivory.
By 1861, the British moved in officially by taking over Lagos. Over the next few years, they pushed further inland. They used a company called the Royal Niger Company to run things, but by 1900, the British Crown (the King and Queen) took direct control.
In 1914, a man named Lord Lugard joined the North and South together to create one country called Nigeria. From that moment until 1960, the King or Queen of England had the final say for everyone in Nigeria.
The British didn’t have enough people to stay in every village, so they used a system called,indirect Rule. They allowed the local Kings; Obas, Emirs, and Obis to keep their titles and handle small daily issues.
However, the British gave the orders on the big things like taxes, laws, and where the resources went.
While the British built some roads and railways, they did it mostly so they could move Nigerian resources out to the coast and ship them back to the UK.
After World War II ended in 1945, Nigerians who had traveled abroad and studied began to ask for their own country.
Leaders like Nnamdi Azikiwe, Obafemi Awolowo, and Ahmadu Bello started to challenge the British. They used newspapers and protests to show that Nigerians were ready to lead themselves.
The British Throne realized they couldn’t hold on forever. They started holding meetings in London the Lancaster House Conferences to plan how Nigeria would become
