The Presidency says President Bola Tinubu’s state visit to Saint Lucia is a strategic engagement that will deepen educational and cultural cooperation with the island nation and the Caribbean.
This was contained in a statement by the Presidential spokesperson, Bayo Onanuga, on Sunday.
Mr Onanuga said the visit would rekindle Nigeria’s ancestral and strategic economic ties with the Caribbean nation and the wider CARICOM bloc.
“In the wake of some Nigerians’ misguided, mischievous, and uninformed comments regarding President Tinubu’s historic state visit to Saint Lucia, it is necessary to clarify the purpose.
“First, from the perspective of the Government of Saint Lucia, the visit by the Nigerian leader paves the way for rekindling of ancestral bonds, igniting a new era of diplomatic, cultural, and economic possibilities between our nations,” Mr Onanuga stated.
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He stated that the President’s historic visit aligned with Nigeria’s “Four D’s” foreign policy: Democracy, Development, Diaspora, and Demography—key pillars of the country’s global engagement.
Mr Onanuga noted that Saint Lucia, with deep African roots and a significant Nigerian-descended population, views the visit as a homecoming of sorts.
It would be recalled that in the 19th century, Nigerian immigrants brought enduring cultural and religious traditions to the island, a legacy still felt today.
Mr Onanuga said the visit underscored Nigeria’s rising soft power, driven by Afrobeats, Nollywood, and a literary heritage that resonated across the Caribbean.
He noted that Saint Lucia, home to the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS), is a gateway to the 15-member CARICOM bloc with a 130 billion dollar GDP.
He said that President Tinubu’s presence signalled Nigeria’s interest in expanding South-South trade and strengthening diplomatic and economic ties with the Caribbean.
”Nigeria and Saint Lucia already share remarkable historical links, such as Sir Darnley Alexander, a Saint Lucian, who served as Chief Justice of Nigeria from
1975 to 1979,” he stated.
The presidency also highlighted contributions of other Saint Lucians, including Neville Skeete, who helped design the Central Bank of Nigeria headquarters, and Sir Darnley’s son, Michael, a frontline medical officer during the Nigerian civil war.
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Mr Onanuga said that Nigeria’s Technical Aid Corps, part of Tinubu’s delegation, will support development efforts by deploying professionals to key sectors in Saint Lucia.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that Saint Lucia, which gained independence in 1979, had hosted fewer than 10 official state visits.
The last African leader to visit was President Nelson Mandela, who attended the 1998 CARICOM Heads of Government Summit.
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(NAN)
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