Mayor of London Sadiq Khan is expected to visit Nigeria this summer as part of a trade and diplomatic mission to Africa, ahead of his participation in the 2025 C40 World Mayors Summit scheduled for November in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Khan, who co-chairs C40 — a global network of nearly 100 city mayors focused on addressing climate change — is set to lead what City Hall has described as a first-of-its-kind delegation by a London mayor to Nigeria, Ghana, and South Africa.

According to UK news organisation, Dailymail, the African tour follows his recent visit to Paris for a climate engagement and will precede the Rio summit, which is part of the United Nations COP30 climate talks.

The Africa trip, announced last December, is framed as a trade and diplomatic outreach to strengthen business, environmental, and cultural ties between London and key African economies. Specific details of his Nigerian itinerary have yet to be released.

A spokesperson for the Mayor of London, whom the UK media quoted, said his international engagements are aimed at encouraging climate action and economic partnerships while reinforcing London’s role in global leadership on sustainability.

“The Mayor will attend the C40 World Mayors Summit to lead critical conversations on the direct action that London and other major global cities can take to help tackle the climate crisis while creating millions of new green jobs,” the statement read.

The costs of Khan’s trip to Brazil, as well as other expenses associated with the summit, are being covered by Bloomberg Philanthropies. Critics, however, have raised concerns about the environmental implications of his air travel, citing contradictions between climate advocacy and long-haul flights.

Khan’s office responded that emissions from his Rio flight would be offset using sustainable aviation fuel contributions and emphasised that no taxpayer funds would be used for the trip.

During his tenure as mayor, Khan has made over 20 foreign visits, including previous trips to the U.S., India, Pakistan, and the Vatican. The upcoming Africa mission will mark his first official visit to Nigeria in his current role. (The Guardian)