Chidimma Uchegbu -Abuja
As part of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s ongoing state visit to Saint Lucia, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Nigeria, Ambassador Yusuf Maitama Tuggar, has held a bilateral meeting with Hon. Alva Romanus Baptiste, Minister for External Affairs, International Trade, Civil Aviation, and Diaspora Affairs of Saint Lucia, to explore new frontiers of cooperation and mutual engagement.
This was contained in a statement signed by Alkasim Abdulkadir, Special Assistant on Media and Communications Strategy to the Minister of Foreign Affairs.
Ambassador Tuggar conveyed warm greetings from the Government and people of Nigeria to the Government an the people of Saint Lucia, and expressed appreciation for the hospitality extended to President Tinubu’s delegation.
The Minister underscored the deep historical and cultural bonds between Nigeria and Saint Lucia, rooted in African ancestry, the legacy of the transatlantic slave trade, and shared British colonial heritage. These ties, he noted, form a firm foundation for renewed diplomatic and cultural engagement.
Ambassador Tuggar welcomed the anticipated formalization 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 emphasized 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 and 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.
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.
Recognizing the shared vulnerability to environmental threats, Ambassador Tuggar emphasized 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.
Hannatu Musawa Minister of Art, Culture, Tourism and Creative Economy and the Director General of the Nigerian Technical Aid Corps (NTAC) Rt. Hon. Dr. Yusuf Buba Yakub also attended the bilateral meeting.
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.
