President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has concluded his four-day official state visit to Saint Lucia and departed for Brazil to attend the 17th BRICS Summit in Rio de Janeiro.
The Nigerian Leader will participate as a representative of Nigeria, which holds the status of a “partner country” in BRICS, an upgrade from its previous guest status.
In a significant step toward deepening its global diplomatic and economic engagement, Nigeria was formally admitted as the ninth BRICS partner country in January 2025, following the introduction of the new partnership status at the 16th BRICS Summit held in October 2024.
As a BRICS partner country, Nigeria now gains access to high-level meetings, summits, and strategic initiatives of the bloc, which includes Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, along with other recent members. This new status allows Nigeria to contribute to multilateral discussions, influence the drafting of official BRICS documents, and participate in economic, security, and development dialogues.
During his four-day state visit to Saint Lucia, President Tinubu achieved several significant milestones that strengthened diplomatic, economic, cultural, and educational ties between Nigeria and Saint Lucia
Top amongst the achievements of the Nigerian Leader in Saint Lucia is the establishment of formal diplomatic relations between Nigeria and Saint Lucia, marking a historic step in bilateral cooperation and opening avenues for enhanced trade, investment, tourism, education, and cultural exchange.
The Nigerian Leader also held high-level meetings with Saint Lucia’s Prime Minister Philip J. Pierre and Governor-General Cyril Charles, discussing cooperation on climate change, disaster preparedness, sustainable development financing, and Commonwealth collaboration.
President Tinubu also addressed a special joint session of Saint Lucia’s Parliament, highlighting Nigeria’s commitment to South-South cooperation and reinforcing people-to-people ties, with the presence of OECS Heads of Government and diplomatic officials.
Visited the Sir Arthur Lewis Community College to promote educational cooperation and academic exchange between Nigeria and Saint Lucia, supporting youth empowerment and capacity building.
Secured a technical manpower agreement, under which Nigeria will deploy teachers, doctors, and other professionals to Saint Lucia and other Caribbean countries, enhancing human resource development and technical assistance.
Received Saint Lucia’s highest national honour, the Knight Commander of the Order of Saint Lucia (KCOSL), in recognition of his efforts to deepen historical and cultural bonds between Africa and the Caribbean.
Overall, President Tinubu’s visit marked a historic diplomatic milestone, reviving ancestral ties, boosting economic diplomacy, and laying the foundation for long-term cooperation between Nigeria and the Caribbean, particularly within the framework of the African Union’s Sixth Region agenda recognising the African diaspora as a key development partner.