Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has conferred one of Nigeria’s highest national honours on billionaire businessman Gilbert Chagoury, a move that has renewed attention on Chagoury’s long-standing political influence, including his lesser-known diplomatic connection to Saint Lucia.
According to an official citation dated January 8, 2026, Chagoury was awarded the Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger (GCON), Nigeria’s second-highest national honour, surpassed only by the GCFR reserved for presidents.
President Tinubu, acting under the powers of Nigeria’s National Honours Act, cited Chagoury’s “outstanding virtues” and decades-long contribution to the country’s political and economic life.
The award further underscores the close relationship between Tinubu and Chagoury, a Lebanese-born businessman who has remained a powerful behind-the-scenes figure in Nigerian politics for more than four decades.
Beyond Nigeria, Chagoury has a formal diplomatic association with Saint Lucia, having served as Saint Lucia’s Honorary Consul to the Vatican, a role that placed him within the island’s extended diplomatic network.
That connection has periodically attracted public interest and controversy, particularly given Chagoury’s international profile and past legal history. .
For Saint Lucia, the renewed spotlight on Chagoury comes at a time when the island has been strengthening diplomatic and cultural ties with Africa, including Nigeria. President Tinubu himself has publicly referenced historical and ancestral links between West Africa and the Caribbean, positioning countries like Saint Lucia as natural partners in broader Pan-African cooperation.
