President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is now expected to return to Nigeria on Tuesday, September 29, 2026, following a last-minute change to his travel plans, according to reliable presidency sources.
The President, who was originally scheduled to return this weekend after extending his four-week working vacation in Europe, will arrive in Lagos, the nation’s commercial capital.
He is expected to be received at the presidential wing of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Ikeja by Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu.
Tinubu departed Nigeria on August 30, 2026, for London to begin what the Presidency described as a three-week working vacation as part of his annual leave. After spending about a week in the United Kingdom, he proceeded to Paris, France, where he held meetings with French President Emmanuel Macron and businessman Vincent Bolloré, whose media interests include Canal+, MultiChoice and Universal Music Group.
On September 21, Presidential Spokesperson Bayo Onanuga announced that the President had extended his stay abroad by a few days and would return to Nigeria at the weekend. Sources had earlier indicated he would arrive in Lagos on Sunday and remain there for up to a week before heading to Abuja.
However, the itinerary was revised over the weekend. Sources told media outlets including THISDAY and TheCable that the return has been shifted to Tuesday due to a last-minute change in plans. The reason for the adjustment has not been publicly disclosed.
While in Lagos, President Tinubu is expected to attend to official state duties and celebrate Nigeria’s 66th Independence Anniversary on Thursday, October 1, 2026. This will mark the second consecutive year he marks the national day in Lagos, following a similar decision in 2025.
He is scheduled to return to the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, by the following weekend.
The Presidency has maintained that Tinubu remained in constant contact with officials at home throughout his absence and continued to direct government affairs remotely. During the period, he ordered an independent investigation into the deaths of 37 suspected illegal miners in Minna and delegated Vice President Kashim Shettima to represent him at the 81st United Nations General Assembly in New York.
As of Sunday, September 27, 2026, there has been no official statement from the Presidency confirming the new Tuesday return date.
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