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Tag: Saint Lucia

  • Four things to know about St Lucia as Tinubu visits Caribbean nation

    Four things to know about St Lucia as Tinubu visits Caribbean nation

    President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is currently in Saint Lucia for a state visit, the first stop in his two-nation tour of the Caribbean and South America.

    During his stay, he is expected to address a special joint session of the Saint Lucian Senate and House of Assembly and meet with top government officials, including Governor-General and Prime Minister Philip Pierre.

    As Nigeria strengthens ties with the Caribbean region, here are four key things to know about Saint Lucia:

    1. Tourism

    Tourism is Saint Lucia’s primary economic driver and largest employer. The island, located in the eastern Caribbean, boasts breathtaking beaches, lush mountains, and natural wonders like the Qualibou volcano and its boiling sulphur springs. Before tourism became dominant, Saint Lucia relied heavily on banana exports, especially after sugarcane production ended in 1964. While bananas still contribute to the economy, tourism remains the top source of foreign exchange.

    2. A Rich Cultural Heritage Rooted in African and French Influence

    Most Saint Lucians are descendants of African slaves brought to the island by the British in the 19th century to work on plantations. Though Saint Lucia was once a British colony, the French settled there in the 17th century. Their cultural influence endures today, particularly through the widespread use of St Lucian Creole (patois), spoken alongside English.

    Read Also: Nigeria, Saint Lucia to explore new frontiers of cooperation, mutual engagement

    3. A Small Island Nation with Vibrant Identity

    Capital: Castries

    Area: 617 square kilometres

    Population: Approximately 184,900

    Languages: English and St Lucian Creole

    Life Expectancy: 71 years (men), 77 years (women)

    Despite its small size, Saint Lucia has a strong national identity and is known for its vibrant music, festivals, and hospitality.

     4. Stable Democratic Governance

    Saint Lucia is a constitutional monarchy with King Charles III as head of state, represented by a Governor-General. The current Prime Minister, Philip Joseph Pierre, assumed office on 29 July 2021 after leading the Saint Lucia Labour Party (SLP) to a decisive victory in the general elections. The SLP won 13 of 17 parliamentary seats, unseating the United Workers Party in what became the fourth consecutive election defeat for an incumbent government

    President Tinubu’s visit aims to strengthen diplomatic, economic, and educational cooperation between Nigeria and Saint Lucia, with plans to deepen cultural and academic ties through high-level engagements and institutional partnerships.

  • Nigeria, Saint Lucia to explore new frontiers of cooperation, mutual engagement

    Nigeria, Saint Lucia to explore new frontiers of cooperation, mutual engagement

    Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Maitama Tuggar, and Saint Lucia’s Minister for External Affairs, International Trade, Civil Aviation, and Diaspora Affairs, Alva Romanus Baptiste, held a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s ongoing state visit.

    Also in attendance were Nigeria’s Minister of Art, Culture, Tourism and Creative Economy, Hannatu Musawa, and the Director General of the Nigerian Technical Aid Corps (NTAC), Rt. Hon. Dr. Yusuf Buba Yakub.

    According to a statement by Tuggar’s media aide, Alkasim Abdulkadir, the minister emphasised the deep-rooted historical and cultural ties between Nigeria and Saint Lucia, grounded in shared African ancestry, the legacy of the transatlantic slave trade, and a common British colonial history.

    He described these bonds as a strong basis for revitalised diplomatic and cultural cooperation.

    The statement further reads: “Ambassador Tuggar welcomed the anticipated formalisation of diplomatic relations between Nigeria and Saint Lucia, highlighting that the Nigerian High Commission in Port of Spain currently provides interim diplomatic and consular coverage for Saint Lucia. He emphasised that the establishment of official diplomatic ties would serve as a vital platform for enhancing bilateral and multilateral collaboration between Nigeria and Caribbean nations, particularly within the OECS and CARICOM frameworks.

    “In furtherance of practical cooperation, Ambassador Tuggar proposed the development of a structured partnership between Nigeria’s Technical Aid Corps (NTAC) and Saint Lucia’s Political & Economic Cooperation Development Division. This would involve: the deployment of Nigerian professionals in sectors such as health, education, agriculture, and technical services; the exchange of best practices in governance, youth empowerment, and institutional capacity-building; and

    The design of joint capacity development initiatives that can serve as models for broader Africa–Caribbean collaboration.

    “He also encouraged both countries to explore opportunities in education diplomacy, including scholarships, academic exchanges, and collaborative research programmes that foster stronger people-to-people linkages.

    Read Also: Presidency defends Tinubu’s visit to Saint Lucia

    The Minister reaffirmed Nigeria’s interest in expanding trade and investment relations with Saint Lucia, focusing on key growth areas such as agriculture, tourism, manufacturing, renewable energy, and ICT.

    “Recognising the shared vulnerability to environmental threats, Ambassador Tuggar emphasised the importance of cooperation on climate change adaptation, disaster risk reduction, and access to climate finance, noting Nigeria’s commitment to supporting Saint Lucia’s efforts as a Small Island Developing State (SIDS).

    “He further reiterated Nigeria’s readiness to champion the concerns of Saint Lucia and other SIDS on global platforms, including the United Nations, the Commonwealth, and the African Union–CARICOM initiatives, as part of its commitment to inclusive international engagement.

    “Concluding the meeting, Ambassador Tuggar expressed confidence that the growing partnership between Nigeria and Saint Lucia would lead to mutual prosperity and greater regional solidarity, and thanked Minister Baptiste for his commitment to strengthening ties between the two nations.”

  • Presidency defends Tinubu’s visit to Saint Lucia

    Presidency defends Tinubu’s visit to Saint Lucia

    The Presidency has  defended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s ongoing state visit to Saint Lucia, saying those   questioning the purpose were “misguided,  mischievous, and uninformed.”

     It described the visit as a historic and strategic engagement rooted in deep ancestral, diplomatic, economic and cultural ties between Nigeria and the Caribbean.

    “From the perspective of the Government of Saint Lucia, the visit by the Nigerian leader paves the way for the rekindling of our ancestral bonds, igniting a new era of diplomatic, cultural, and economic possibilities between our nations,”  said the President in a statement by  Bayo Onanuga,    special adviser to the President on Information and Strategy.

    The visit, according to the Presidency,  marks President Tinubu as the first Nigerian leader to undertake a state visit to Saint Lucia,  an island country of the West Indies,    North America, with a population of 179,285 people.

    Its economic mainstay is tourism and agriculture, with bananas being a key export.

    Saint Lucia is a member of both the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS).

    With a combined Gross Domestic Product (GDP) exceeding $130 billion, CARICOM presents significant potential for South-South cooperation, trade, and development.

    The statement highlighted that many Caribbean nations, including Saint Lucia, have populations with significant Nigerian ancestry. 

    In the mid-19th Century, waves of immigrants from present-day Nigeria settled in the island nation, bringing cultural and religious traditions that remain part of Saint Lucian society today.

    Reinforcing these historical links, the Presidency noted the legacy of Sir Darnley Alexander, a Saint Lucian-born jurist who served as Chief Justice of Nigeria from 1975 to 1979.

    Alexander, who migrated to Nigeria in 1957, played a pivotal role in Nigeria’s legal and judicial development. His family’s deep ties to Nigeria—along with contributions by other Lucians like architect Neville Skeete—symbolise enduring people-to-people bonds.

    Read Also: Senator Adeola hails Tinubu for signing landmark tax reform bills into law

    The Presidency emphasised that President Tinubu’s visit aligns with Nigeria’s foreign policy thrust centred on the “Four D’s– Democracy, Development, Diaspora and Demography.

     On Democracy, the visit strengthens Nigeria’s relations with Saint Lucia, a fellow democratic state with a stable parliamentary system. 

    The statement added that during a live broadcast on the National Television Network (NTN), a Saint Lucian commentator described President Tinubu as “a fighter for democracy” for his pro-democracy activism during Nigeria’s military era.

    On development, the President’s engagement with institutions like Sir Arthur Lewis Community College and the deployment of Nigerian Technical Aid Corps (TAC) personnel underlines a commitment to educational and technical cooperation.

    Under Diaspora, the visit supports the African Union’s Sixth Region Initiative, which identifies the African diaspora as a critical development partner. 

    “Nigeria actively fosters cultural exchange through collaboration in education, culture, and heritage preservation,” the statement added.

     The growing popularity of Afrobeats, Nollywood and Nigerian Literature in Saint Lucia—evident in local events like the Gros Islet Street Party—is a testament to Nigeria’s rising soft power in the Caribbean, the     Presidency noted.

    On Demography, Tinubu’s message remains clear: Nigeria’s youthful population is a powerful driver of innovation, education, and industrialisation, and its global partnerships should reflect that strength.

    As part of the visit, President Tinubu will meet with members of the Nigerian community in Saint Lucia at a reception to be hosted by Prime Minister Philip J. Pierre.

     The event will provide an opportunity for the diaspora to interact directly with  President Tinubu and raise matters of mutual concern.

    Saint Lucia, which gained independence in 1979, has hosted not less than 10 state visits in its history.

     The last   African leader that visit the Island was President Nelson Mandela in July 1998.

     President Tinubu’s state visit—27 years later—is therefore seen as a momentous diplomatic occasion.

    As part of the high-level engagements, President Tinubu will deliver an address to a special joint session of the Saint Lucian Parliament at the Sandals Grande Saint Lucian Conference Hall—renamed after former U.S. President Bill Clinton.

    At a time of global realignment and shifting partnerships, the Nigerian presidency sees this Caribbean engagement as timely and strategic.

    “In an era of global uncertainty, deepening cooperation between the Global South, particularly between continental Africa and the Caribbean, has become imperative,” Onanuga said.