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Nigeria’s former Foreign Minister, Professor Bolaji Akinyemi, has defended President Bola Tinubu’s state visit to the United Kingdom (UK), despite the multiple bomb blasts in Maiduguri, the capital of Borno State, which claimed several lives just a day before the President’s trip.
Monday’s bomb blasts in Maiduguri mark the latest gruesome terrorist attack in Nigeria, following insurgents’ assault on Kaiama, Kwara State, in February, where over a hundred people were massacred, in the West African country that has grappled with insecurity for more than a decade.
Many Nigerians and opposition leaders have criticised Tinubu for embarking on the trip to the UK, accusing him of lacking empathy. Despite the criticisms, other Nigerians, including the President’s supporters, have defended him.
Tinubu’s recent state visit marked the first time in almost 40 years that a Nigerian President has travelled to the UK, a country with which Nigeria shares historical ties.
In an interview with Arise News, Professor Bolaji Akinyemi described Bola Tinubu’s visit as a historic moment, noting that the travel itinerary could not be postponed or cancelled at the last minute.
“This will be the first Nigerian head of state in 37 years, I believe, to be invited on a state visit. You must read a meaning into that. And I really believe that what we should be talking about is the significance, rather than trying to limp in about whether the visit should have gone on or not,” said Prof. Akinyemi.
“When you see the show that was put on, do you think that could have been amended at the last minute because of what happened in Maiduguri? Please don’t misunderstand me.”
Nigeria has been facing a persistent insecurity crisis for over a decade, with terrorists and armed groups launching assaults on Nigerian communities. Nigeria was ranked fourth on the 2025 Global Terrorism Index, up two places from sixth in 2024.
The Global Terrorism Report further revealed that terror attacks in Nigeria increased by 43% in 2025, from 120 incidents in 2024 to 171. Prof. Akinyemi, however, said that disasters happen, but state events go on regardless.
“What happened in Maiduguri was a disaster for Nigeria’s image. And for all of us, it is something we should be weeping about. But you don’t change a state to visit at the last second because of something that happened.
Maybe that’s part of our culture. We change things and then, you know, the other side is waiting. You don’t do that to Britain,” he added.
