By Ebi Kesiena
Nigeria and Saint Lucia have taken bold steps to deepen their diplomatic and economic ties, following a high-level bilateral meeting held as part of President Bola Tinubu’s ongoing state visit to the Caribbean nation.
This was contained in a statement signed by Alkasim Abdulkadir, Special Assistant on Media and Communications Strategy to Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Amb. Yusuf Tuggar.
Tuggar met with Honourable Alva Romanus Baptiste, Saint Lucia’s Minister for External Affairs, International Trade, Civil Aviation, and Diaspora Affairs, where both parties explored avenues to strengthen cooperation across multiple sectors.
Tuggar conveyed President Tinubu’s goodwill and acknowledged the deep-rooted cultural and historical links between both nations, founded on shared African ancestry and colonial experiences.
He welcomed plans to formalise diplomatic relations between Nigeria and Saint Lucia, noting that Nigeria’s High Commission in Port of Spain currently oversees consular affairs for the island nation. Tuggar proposed structured cooperation through Nigeria’s Technical Aid Corps (NTAC), offering to deploy skilled Nigerian professionals in areas such as education, healthcare, and agriculture, while also fostering youth empowerment and institutional strengthening.
The Minister highlighted education diplomacy, scholarships, academic exchanges, and research collaborations as a key pathway to promoting people-to-people connections. On the economic front, he identified agriculture, tourism, renewable energy, and ICT as high-potential areas for bilateral trade and investment.
Ambassador Tuggar also called for joint efforts in tackling climate change and disaster resilience, emphasising Nigeria’s support for Saint Lucia and other Small Island Developing States (SIDS) on the global stage. He reiterated Nigeria’s commitment to advocating for SIDS within platforms such as the United Nations, the Commonwealth, and AU–CARICOM dialogues.
The meeting was attended by Hannatu Musawa, Minister of Art, Culture, Tourism and Creative Economy, and Rt. Hon. Dr. Yusuf Buba Yakub, Director General of the Nigerian Technical Aid Corps.
Tuggar expressed optimism that the renewed partnership would usher in shared prosperity and deeper regional cooperation 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.
