Nigeria and Saint Lucia Forge Stronger Ties as Foreign Ministers Chart New Path for Cooperation.
By Raymond Enoch
In a significant diplomatic milestone, Nigeria and Saint Lucia have taken concrete steps toward deepening bilateral relations, following a high-level meeting between Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, H.E. Ambassador Yusuf Maitama Tuggar, OON, and Saint Lucia’s Minister for External Affairs, International Trade, Civil Aviation, and Diaspora Affairs, Honourable Alva Romanus Baptiste.
The meeting, which took place during President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s state visit to Saint Lucia, served as a platform to explore strategic areas of cooperation, from diplomatic engagement and technical partnerships to trade, education, and climate resilience.
Ambassador Tuggar conveyed President Tinubu’s goodwill and gratitude to the Government and people of Saint Lucia for the warm reception, emphasizing the longstanding historical and cultural ties between the two nations. He noted that their shared African ancestry, legacies of the transatlantic slave trade, and common British colonial heritage provide a strong foundation for renewed collaboration.
The Foreign Minister welcomed the anticipated formalization of diplomatic relations between Nigeria and Saint Lucia, noting that the Nigerian High Commission in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, currently provides interim consular services for Saint Lucia. Formalizing ties, he said, would create new opportunities for bilateral and multilateral engagement within frameworks such as the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) and the Caribbean Community (CARICOM).
In a bid to promote tangible development cooperation, Ambassador Tuggar proposed the launch of a structured partnership between Nigeria’s Technical Aid Corps (NTAC) and Saint Lucia’s Political & Economic Cooperation Development Division. The collaboration would facilitate the deployment of skilled Nigerian professionals in vital sectors such as health, education, agriculture, and technical services. It would also promote exchanges in governance, youth development, and institutional capacity-building.
Education diplomacy featured prominently in the discussions, with Ambassador Tuggar proposing initiatives such as scholarships, academic exchange programmes, and joint research projects aimed at strengthening people-to-people ties and deepening intellectual cooperation.
The Minister also underscored Nigeria’s commitment to expanding trade and investment with Saint Lucia, particularly in high-impact sectors such as agriculture, tourism, manufacturing, renewable energy, and ICT. He encouraged mutual exploration of business opportunities that align with both countries’ development priorities.
Recognizing the shared vulnerabilities of both nations—especially Saint Lucia as a Small Island Developing State (SIDS)—Ambassador Tuggar stressed the importance of joint action on climate change adaptation, disaster risk management, and equitable access to climate finance. He affirmed Nigeria’s support for Saint Lucia’s environmental advocacy on global platforms, including the United Nations, the Commonwealth, and the Africa–CARICOM partnership.
In attendance at the bilateral meeting were Nigeria’s Minister of Art, Culture, Tourism and Creative Economy, Hannatu Musawa, and the Director General of the Nigerian Technical Aid Corps, Rt. Hon. Dr. Yusuf Buba Yakub, signaling the broad scope of Nigeria’s engagement with Saint Lucia.
Concluding the meeting, Ambassador Tuggar expressed confidence that the growing partnership between Nigeria and Saint Lucia would usher in mutual prosperity and stronger regional solidarity. He commended Minister Baptiste for his dedication to fostering lasting ties between the two nations.
As Nigeria and Saint Lucia move to formalize diplomatic relations, the talks mark a pivotal step toward a more interconnected Afro-Caribbean future—one rooted in shared history and shaped by a vision of collective progress.
