Tinubu Addresses Joint Parliament In Saint Lucia

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu addressed a joint sitting of the Senate and House of Assembly of Saint Lucia on Monday, proposing a visa-free arrangement for officials of both nations and calling for enhanced bilateral ties in areas such as education, climate, and culture.

Speaking at the William Jefferson Clinton Ballroom, Sandals Grande, Gros Islet, the Nigerian leader said the move was aimed at strengthening institutional cooperation and enhancing Nigeria’s engagement with the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) member countries.

Tinubu, who arrived in Vieux Fort, Saint Lucia, on Saturday as part of his official tour of the Caribbean and South America, announced Nigeria’s willingness to remove visa restrictions for OECS officials holding diplomatic and official passports.

“Nigeria is open to exploring a visa waiver arrangement for holders of diplomatic and official passports from OECS countries travelling to Nigeria,” he said.

He urged Saint Lucia and other OECS members to reciprocate the gesture, saying such cooperation would “foster closer institutional partnerships and smoother official engagements.”

The president also advocated stronger academic collaboration between Nigeria and OECS countries, particularly in the fields of education, research, and maritime development.

“Our goal should be to jointly develop solutions to shared challenges, particularly in health and environmental management,” Tinubu noted.

He proposed partnerships between Nigerian institutions and OECS maritime universities, encouraging long-term academic exchanges and joint scientific initiatives in sustainable agriculture, disease control, and climate response.

With both regions vulnerable to flooding, droughts, and other climate-induced risks, Tinubu called for joint action on climate adaptation and disaster risk management.

“Collaboration on climate change adaptation is critical. Let us deepen cooperation to develop responses that protect our people and economies,” he added.

The president stressed the need to build mutual understanding through cultural exchange and people-to-people contact, especially among the younger generation.

He said, “Mutual understanding must be built from the ground up. Educational and community-level partnerships will drive stronger cultural awareness among future generations.”

As part of efforts to close capacity gaps in critical sectors, Tinubu announced that Nigeria is ready to expand the reach of its Technical Aid Corps (TAC) to the Caribbean region.

“We are prepared to extend the services of the Nigerian Technical Aid Corps to OECS countries,” he said, describing it as a vital step in supporting shared development.

The visit marks the first by an African head of state to Saint Lucia since Nelson Mandela attended the 1998 CARICOM Heads of Government Summit, according to the Nigerian Presidency.