In a historic and wide-ranging address to the Parliament of Saint Lucia, Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu laid out a bold vision for deepening relations between Nigeria and the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS), offering initiatives spanning education, trade, agriculture, tourism, and cultural exchange.
The Nigerian leader’s proposals included establishing scholarships for OECS students to study in Nigerian universities, exploring direct air links between West Africa and the Caribbean, offering visa-free access for diplomatic and official passport holders, sharing Nigeria’s technical expertise, and increasing cooperation in climate resilience, health care, and agriculture.
“This visit is not only about Saint Lucia but about building bridges between Nigeria and the OECS,” President Tinubu declared in his address to a joint sitting of the House of Assembly and Senate. “Together, we can leverage our respective strengths to attract investments, create jobs, and foster joint ventures that benefit both our peoples.”
Tinubu’s visit marks the first time a Nigerian Head of State has addressed Saint Lucia’s Parliament and the first visit by an African president to the island since Nelson Mandela’s historic visit in July 1998.
Emphasizing the shared African heritage and cultural connection between Nigeria and the Caribbean, Tinubu said the time had come to transform symbolic ties into lasting partnerships.
“Our peoples are bound by history and a common ancestry,” Tinubu said. “We share a spirit of endurance, creativity, and strength. Let us journey together, united in purpose and fortified by our common heritage.”
Speaking immediately after President Tinubu, Prime Minister Hon. Philip J. Pierre warmly welcomed the Nigerian delegation and hailed the visit as a significant milestone in the rekindling of Africa-Caribbean ties.
“Our friend and respected President of Nigeria, it is a great honor and a deep and heartfelt joy to welcome you and your distinguished delegation to my beautiful island home of Saint Lucia,” Pierre said. “Mr. President, I have no doubt that you have been able to tell from the landscape and the people you have met, that Saint Lucia has much in common with Nigeria, a small fragment of Africa.”
Highlighting Saint Lucia’s national development goals, Prime Minister Pierre endorsed Tinubu’s announcement of scholarship opportunities, saying, “It falls in line with our government’s policy of providing every household in Saint Lucia with at least one university graduate.”
Pierre noted that despite Saint Lucia’s small size in comparison to Nigeria’s 300 million citizens, the nations share a “genetic Nigerian connection” and a cultural bond that has remained unbroken since the transatlantic slave trade.
“Though our peoples have been separated by an ocean, nothing has ever separated us spiritually or culturally,” he said. “We are African people who have made permanent homes for ourselves on this side of the Atlantic, but our eyes remain fixed on Africa.”
The Prime Minister highlighted the historical ties between the Caribbean and Nigeria, referencing the Caribbean workers who once served in Nigeria’s colonial civil service, as well as the nations’ shared literary legacies, celebrating Nobel Laureates Wole Soyinka of Nigeria and Derek Walcott of Saint Lucia.
He pointed to the growing popularity of Afrobeat music and Nollywood cinema among Saint Lucia’s youth, saying Nigerian cultural influence has become “part of our cultural fabric.” The Saint Lucian leader invited President Tinubu to return for the Saint Lucia Jazz Festival and proposed more collaboration in the creative industries, sports, finance, and renewable energy.
On the issue of connectivity, Pierre underscored the importance of direct air travel between the two regions. “We currently host over one million tourists annually, but very few are from Nigeria,” he said. “Establishing an airline link would not only boost tourism but also deepen investment and cultural exchange.”
Pierre further welcomed the formal establishment of diplomatic relations between Saint Lucia and Nigeria, and expressed optimism about the upcoming Africa-Caribbean Summit in Addis Ababa later this year.
“We are pleased to stand at this important juncture with Nigeria by our side,” he said. “Your visit marks the beginning of a new era, of deep friendship, cooperation, and shared success between our peoples.”
Meanwhile, quoting both Marcus Garvey and an African proverb, President Tinubu called for collective action and unity, stating, “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.”
President Tinubu’s visit is seen as a strategic gesture toward reviving Pan-African solidarity and expanding Nigeria’s engagement with the Caribbean region in meaningful, long-term ways.
