President Bola Tinubu’s landmark state visit to Saint Lucia has ushered in a new era of Nigeria-Caribbean relations, with major announcements including full diplomatic ties, a scholarship scheme for OECS students, and a proposal for reciprocal visa waivers.
Addressing a joint session of Saint Lucia’s bicameral Parliament on Monday, Tinubu reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to rekindling ancestral and cultural ties with the Caribbean, while also laying out a broad agenda for cooperation in education, trade, climate resilience, and cultural exchange.
‘We are one people’ — Saint Lucia traces ancestry to Nigeria
In her welcome address, President of the Saint Lucian Senate, Alvina Reynolds, referenced a British census conducted in 1815, revealing that many Saint Lucians trace their roots to West Africa, especially Nigeria.
“Of the 16,282 enslaved people in Saint Lucia that year, 3,488 were born in Africa. Of these, 34 per cent were from Nigeria,” she said, adding that many others also came from the Nigeria-Cameroon region and the Congo.
Reynolds said President Tinubu’s visit represented a symbolic “mission to reunite us with our homeland.” She honoured Sir Darnley Alexander, a Saint Lucian who served as Nigeria’s Chief Justice from 1975 to 1979, and also recognised the contributions of Nigerian priests serving in the country.
Pierre: 'We remain spiritually and culturally African'
Prime Minister Philip J. Pierre described the visit as a moment of reflection and celebration, stating that Saint Lucians remain spiritually connected to West Africa.
“We are African people who have made permanent homes for ourselves on this side of the Atlantic,” he said. “But we have built these homes not for ourselves alone, but in the service of all humanity, especially Africa.”
Pierre also joked that Saint Lucia’s population is smaller than that of Eti-Osa Local Government Area in Lagos, but affirmed the island’s pride and sovereignty as a “fragment of Africa.”
He thanked the Nigerian community for their contributions to Saint Lucia’s development in health, religion, cuisine, and tourism, and called for stronger ties in sports, fintech, and education.
Scholarship scheme and visa waivers on the way
Following a working luncheon with OECS leaders in Gros Islet, President Tinubu announced that a scholarship programme for students from OECS countries to study in Nigerian universities will commence in the next academic year.
“This initiative is part of a broader cooperation framework aimed at strengthening people-to-people ties,” Tinubu said. “We won’t drop the ball.”
The scholarship programme will be managed by a joint implementation committee comprising representatives from both Nigeria and the OECS.
Tinubu also proposed a visa waiver arrangement for diplomatic and official passport holders from OECS countries and called for a reciprocal gesture to promote official travel and cooperation.
Prime Minister Pierre confirmed that visa facilitation is top on the committee’s agenda and expressed optimism that the first batch of students will resume in Nigeria in the coming academic year.
Economic and cultural diplomacy
In his formal address at the William Jefferson Clinton Ballroom, Tinubu proposed establishing a Joint Commission to facilitate structured engagement between Nigeria and the OECS.
He also invited OECS countries to take advantage of Nigeria’s position as Africa’s largest market by deepening trade ties in agriculture, manufacturing, and services.
He highlighted plans for joint ventures, partnerships in maritime education, and scientific research on climate adaptation, healthcare, and sustainable agriculture—especially in light of the vulnerabilities of small island nations.
“Nigeria is ready to extend its Technical Aid Corps to OECS countries,” he added, offering Nigerian professionals in education, engineering, and health to help build local capacity.
Pan-Africanism and shared heritage
Reaffirming Nigeria’s Afrocentric foreign policy, Tinubu said his visit symbolised the country’s renewed engagement with the global Black diaspora.
“Our historical bonds were forged in pain but have become sources of strength and shared identity,” he said.
He described Nigeria as the cultural heartbeat of Africa, citing its influence in music, literature, Nollywood, cuisine, and fashion.
Quoting Marcus Garvey, Tinubu urged African-descended people to organise for global respect and unity.
“As the proverb says: If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together,” he said.
The event was attended by leaders from OECS member states including Grenada, Dominica, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Antigua and Barbuda, and Montserrat, as well as Nigerian diplomats and community members. The visit closed with commitments to deepen bilateral cooperation across trade, education, and cultural sectors.
Leave a Reply