Nigeria to Expand Economic Relations with Saint Lucia

By Adedapo Adesanya

Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr Yusuf Maitama Tuggar, has met with Saint Lucia’s Minister for External Affairs, International Trade, Civil Aviation, and Diaspora Affairs, Mr Alva Romanus Baptiste, to strengthen bilateral relations and explore new areas of cooperation.

The meeting took place during President Bola Tinubu’s state visit to the Caribbean nation. Mr Tinubu intends to advance diplomatic, economic, and cultural engagement between the two countries.

Recall that President Tinubu was officially welcomed by the Governor General of Saint Lucia, Mr Cyril Errol Melchiades Charles, on Saturday.

In a statement issued by the Minister’s Special Assistant on Media and Communications Strategy, Mr Alkasim Abdulkadir, it was disclosed that Mr Tuggar noted that Nigeria and Saint Lucia share historical and cultural ties rooted in African ancestry, the transatlantic slave trade, and a shared colonial past—factors that form a basis for deeper collaboration.

He proposed a structured partnership between Nigeria’s Technical Aid Corps (NTAC) and Saint Lucia’s Political and Economic Cooperation Development Division.

The plan includes deploying Nigerian professionals in sectors such as health, education, agriculture, and technical services, as well as joint capacity-building and youth empowerment initiatives, urging both countries to explore education diplomacy through academic exchanges, scholarships, and collaborative research programmes.

On trade, Mr Tuggar reaffirmed Nigeria’s interest in expanding economic relations with Saint Lucia, particularly in agriculture, tourism, manufacturing, renewable energy, and ICT.

He highlighted the shared vulnerability of both nations to environmental challenges and stressed the need for cooperation on climate change adaptation, disaster risk reduction, and access to climate finance.

Mr Tuggar reiterated Nigeria’s commitment to supporting Saint Lucia as a Small Island Developing State (SIDS) and to advocating for its interests on global platforms, including the United Nations, the Commonwealth, and AU–CARICOM initiatives.