A statement released from the State House on Friday clarified that the visit holds both symbolic and substantive importance, aimed at rekindling ancestral bonds, strengthening diplomatic relations, and exploring new economic and cultural frontiers between Nigeria and Saint Lucia.
“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,” the statement said.
President Tinubu’s visit, the first by a Nigerian leader to the island nation, comes at a time of growing momentum for deeper cooperation between Africa and the Caribbean. Saint Lucia, like many Caribbean nations, has a significant population of African ancestry. In the mid-19th century, waves of immigrants from what is now Nigeria settled in Saint Lucia, leaving cultural and religious legacies that endure to this day.
The island nation is also the headquarters of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) and serves as a gateway to the wider Caribbean Community (CARICOM), comprising 15 member states with a combined GDP exceeding $130 billion—making it a vital player in South-South trade and diplomacy.
