King Charles III of the United Kingdom surprised Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu during his two-day visit on Wednesday evening when he greeted him in Yoruba at a state banquet at St George’s Hall, Windsor Castle, in the United Kingdom.
The British monarch opened his address to the Nigerian delegation with a culturally warm expression that left the president visibly amused and sparked a wave of excitement on social media.
While welcoming his guests to the banquet, the UK monarch addressed President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and his wife, First Lady Oluremi Tinubu, in Yoruba, expressing his delight in hosting them.
He said: “Mr President and distinguished First Lady, E kaabo, se dara ni?”
The greeting caught Bola Tinubu, widely known by supporters as Jagaban, completely off guard, and he responded with surprised laughter as guests watched.
Nigerians have since shared mixed but largely proud reactions, describing the gesture as a meaningful acknowledgement of Yoruba culture on a global platform.
Clips from the banquet have continued to circulate widely on social media, with many viewers calling it a rare cultural honour during such a high-profile engagement.
Watch the video here:
Nigerians expressed delight and ethnic pride over the monarch’s gesture.
@AdeHardemola said: “Na to rap in Yoruba remain for King Charles. Yoruba dun pa”
@deezeerhh commented: “Its good to have money, have you heard the presidents laughter?”
@msmocrown wrote: “Charlie spoke Yoruba… how proud to be Yoruba”
@Remi___ranking reacted: “King Charles embracing Yoruba culture absolutely love this! Seeing a monarch say ‘E kaabo! Ṣe dáadáa ni?’ just made my day cultural diplomacy with a smile! Yoruba to the world”
@mayor_twitch said: “… Tinubu burst laff”
@ENGRJIMOH1 commented: “Haaa omo, e burst my head as I hear EKABO PRIDE WAN injur me for here”
