Nigeria's Growing Global Influence: HAI Applauds Tinubu’s UK Royal Visit

The Hope Alive Initiative, HAI, has hailed the forthcoming state visit of Nigeria’s President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, to the United Kingdom, describing it as a validation of his soft-power approach to diplomacy and Nigeria’s growing influence in global affairs.

In a statement made available to newsmen by the group’s Director of Press and Communication, Ernest Omoarelojie, in Abuja on Thursday, HAI urged Nigerians to see the visit as underscoring an enduring friendship, and a signal of a renewed era of cooperation in diplomacy, trade, security and cultural exchange between Nigeria and the United Kingdom. 

“…the visit, the first of its kind in nearly four decades, goes beyond the symbolism of elevated ties between Nigeria and the United Kingdom because it is an indication of President Tinubu and Nigeria’s importance within the Commonwealth and the United Kingdom,” the statement read in part, noting that the visit also represents the highest level of diplomatic engagement and reflects the UK’s recognition of Nigeria’s pivotal role as Africa’s largest economy and a strategic partner in global affairs.

Expressing confidence that President Tinubu would use the visit to engage in high-level discussions aimed at strengthening bilateral relations, expanding economic opportunities and deepening cooperation on shared priorities such as climate action, counter-terrorism and sustainable development, HAI called on the President to also tap on the visit to highlight the contributions of diaspora Nigerians in the UK, while also reinforcing cultural and educational ties between both countries.

According to the pro-good governance group, the visit presents a strategic opportunity for Nigeria to attract investment, promote innovation and enhance its new global standing, adding that the host country must reaffirm its partnership with Nigeria and other African nations in the post-Brexit era.

The organisation further urged Nigerians to support the President, citing his administration's bold economic reforms that are already yielding measurable results, all of which are aimed at putting the country on the path to sustainable development and prosperity.

In addition to the removal of fuel subsidies, which it said, ended the era of persistent fuel queues and significantly increased states' revenues from the federation account, HAI hailed the impact of other policy reforms, including the Nigerian Education Loan Fund, NELFUND, over which more than 1,164,222 students have so far received over ₦206bn interest-free loans to support tertiary education since the programme was launched in 2024.

The group added that the unification of the foreign exchange market enabled manufacturers and businesses to plan within a single exchange window, having eliminated the distortions associated with the previous multi-window regime. The outcome, it said, was enough for the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria to commended the policy for reducing the activities of middlemen.

HAI also cited what it described as improvements in fiscal discipline and other macroeconomic indicators, leading to a decline in inflation from 34.19 per cent in 2024 to 15.10 per cent by January 2026; GDP growth of 4.07 per cent in the fourth quarter of 2025-the highest in three years; and an increase in foreign reserves to $45.4 billion as of December 2025.

The organisation noted with confidence that due to the President’s engaging diplomacy, Nigeria strengthened its relations with key allies, including the United States, leading to collaborations in areas such as counter-terrorism cooperation and financial crime prevention, including Nigeria’s removal from the Financial Action Task Force, FATF, grey list.

HAI concluded by calling for national consensus in support of the administration, pointing to what it described as growing political alignment across party lines in backing the President’s agenda.