President Bola Tinubu is expected to return to Nigeria on Tuesday, September 29, after a four-week working vacation in Europe, with plans to mark the country’s 66th Independence Anniversary in Lagos.

Presidency sources said the President would arrive through Lagos, where he is expected to be received by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu at the presidential wing of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport.

Tinubu is expected to remain in Lagos until October 1, when he will participate in activities marking Nigeria’s Independence Anniversary and deliver a national broadcast.

The Federal Government has announced that the President’s address will form part of activities for the 66th anniversary, alongside a public lecture scheduled for September 30.

Tinubu’s decision to spend the anniversary period in Lagos will make it the second consecutive year he will observe Independence Day in the commercial capital.

After the anniversary, the President is expected to remain in Lagos for several days to attend to official engagements before returning to Abuja next weekend.

Tinubu left Abuja on August 30 for London, where he began a three-week annual vacation. He subsequently travelled to Paris, France, where he held meetings with French President Emmanuel Macron and businessman Vincent Bolloré.

On September 21, the Presidency announced that the President had extended his stay in Europe by a few days and would return to Nigeria at the weekend.

Despite his absence from the country, the Presidency said Tinubu had remained in contact with officials in Abuja and continued to issue directives on matters of national importance.

Among the issues he addressed was the death of 37 suspected illegal miners held in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps in Minna, Niger State.

Tinubu ordered a comprehensive and transparent investigation into the deaths, while the Federal Government constituted an independent committee to establish the circumstances surrounding the incident.

Vice President Kashim Shettima has meanwhile been representing Nigeria at the 81st United Nations General Assembly in New York, where he is leading the country’s delegation.

The UN General Debate is scheduled to run until September 28, with Shettima expected to deliver Nigeria’s national statement and participate in high-level meetings and bilateral engagements.

Tinubu’s return to Nigeria will coincide with preparations for the Independence Anniversary, which marks 66 years since the country gained independence from British colonial rule in 1960.