Pres. Tinubu’s historic visit to Saint Lucia rekindles ancestral ties — Presidency

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s landmark state visit to Saint Lucia has sparked renewed diplomatic and cultural momentum between Nigeria and the Caribbean, despite some uninformed and critical commentary from a segment of the Nigerian public.

The visit, described by Saint Lucian officials as “historic,” is being hailed as a pivotal moment in rekindling ancestral bonds and charting a path for deeper cooperation between Africa and the Caribbean.

From the perspective of the Government of Saint Lucia, President Tinubu’s presence signals a new era of partnership one rooted in shared history, cultural affinity, and economic potential.

As a nation with a significant population of African ancestry, including descendants of 19th-century Nigerian immigrants, Saint Lucia has embraced the visit as a symbolic and practical step forward in reestablishing these deep-rooted connections.

Local anticipation was high ahead of the Nigerian leader’s arrival.

In the days leading up to the state visit, Afrobeats and Nigerian music dominated the airwaves during the iconic Gros Islet Friday Night Street Party evidence of Nigeria’s growing cultural influence in the region.

President Tinubu’s visit aligns with Nigeria’s foreign policy doctrine the “Four D’s”: Democracy, Development, Diaspora, and Demography.

These pillars are guiding Nigeria’s re-engagement with the African diaspora under the African Union’s Sixth Region Agenda, which recognizes the diaspora as a key development partner.

Saint Lucia, the headquarters of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) and gateway to the 15-member CARICOM bloc with a combined GDP of over $130 billion is seen as a strategic ally in this renewed partnership between Africa and the Caribbean.

During a televised arrival ceremony at Hewanorra International Airport, a Saint Lucian commentator described Tinubu as a “fighter for democracy,” referencing his well-documented role in Nigeria’s democratic struggles.

The shared values of democratic governance have become a natural point of convergence, Nigeria now enjoys 26 years of uninterrupted democratic rule, while Saint Lucia is one of the Caribbean’s most stable parliamentary democracies.

According to a statement by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, on Sunday, June 29, Tinubu’s visit marks a rare and significant occasion for Saint Lucia.

Since the country gained independence in 1979, fewer than 10 official state visits have taken place.

The last African Head of State to visit was Nelson Mandela in 1998 making Tinubu’s presence a long-overdue reconnection and a celebration of enduring ties between Africa and its diaspora in the Caribbean. [CONTINUE READING HERE]>>>>