President Bola Ahmed Tinubu ended his four-week working vacation in Europe on Tuesday, September 29, 2026, departing Paris, France, for Lagos, where the President is expected to hold political meetings and participate in Independence Day activities.

Tinubu’s aircraft was expected to arrive at the presidential wing of Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, later on Tuesday, according to Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga.

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The President left Nigeria on August 30, travelling first to London before moving to Paris after about a week in the United Kingdom.

The Presidency described the trip as a working vacation and said Tinubu continued to attend to official matters while abroad.

Tinubu’s return comes after the Presidency extended his stay by several days. The initial expectation was that he would return during the weekend, but the schedule was subsequently adjusted to September 29.

While in Lagos, Tinubu is expected to hold strategic meetings with political leaders and associates as preparations for the 2027 general elections gather pace.

“While in Lagos, President Tinubu will also hold strategic meetings with political leaders and associates over several days in preparation for the 2027 elections,” Onanuga said.

The President’s Lagos itinerary also carries a significant historical element. Tinubu is expected to attend the October 1 premiere of MKO, a documentary about the late Chief Moshood Kashimawo Olawale Abiola and the political struggle surrounding the annulled June 12, 1993 presidential election.

The documentary, directed by Nigerian-American filmmaker Ose Oyamendan, is scheduled to premiere at the National Theatre in Lagos on Independence Day before its nationwide cinema release on October 2. Tinubu is listed as the chief host of the premiere.

The choice of Lagos for the President’s return also means that Tinubu is expected to mark Nigeria’s 66th Independence Anniversary in the commercial capital before returning to Abuja later in the week.

His extended stay in France included several high-level engagements. Tinubu met French President Emmanuel Macron and businessman Vincent Bolloré, whose business interests include Canal+, MultiChoice and Universal Music Group.

One of the most significant developments during the European trip was the signing of agreements between the Ogun State Government and DP World for the proposed Gateway Deep Seaport and Ogun State Blue Marine Special Economic Zone.

Tinubu witnessed the signing in Paris on September 24, with the projects expected to attract more than $7 billion in initial investment and create more than 50,000 direct jobs, according to the Presidency and other reports.

The proposed port is intended to strengthen Nigeria’s maritime infrastructure, ease pressure on the Lagos port corridor and improve connections between Ogun, Lagos and wider regional markets.

At the signing ceremony, Tinubu assured investors of regulatory clarity and policy stability, describing the projects as part of efforts to strengthen Nigeria’s maritime economy and broader economic diversification agenda.

The President’s prolonged absence from Nigeria had also generated public debate, particularly after he did not attend the 81st United Nations General Assembly in New York.

The Presidency subsequently defended the trip, with Onanuga saying Tinubu remained engaged in government affairs while abroad.

Onanuga also said the President was “hale and hearty” and would return to Nigeria during the week.

Tinubu’s return to Lagos now shifts attention to his domestic schedule, including the Independence Day programme and political engagements ahead of the 2027 elections.