Nigeria seeks trade, investment relations with Saint Lucia

Nigeria seeks trade, investment relations with Saint Lucia

Nigeria has shown keen interest in strengthening trade and investment ties with Saint Lucia, focusing on sectors like agriculture, tourism, manufacturing, renewable energy, and ICT. This was highlighted by Nigeria’s Foreign Affairs Minister, Yusuf Tuggar, during a meeting with his Saint Lucian counterpart, Alva Romanus Baptiste, on the sidelines of President Bola Tinubu’s state visit to Saint Lucia.

The two countries share deep historical and cultural connections rooted in African ancestry, the transatlantic slave trade, and a shared British colonial past. Currently, Nigeria’s High Commission in Port of Spain provides interim diplomatic services to Saint Lucia, but both nations are working towards formal diplomatic relations. Establishing official ties is expected to enhance bilateral and multilateral cooperation, especially within regional bodies like the OECS and CARICOM.

Minister Tuggar proposed practical cooperation through a partnership between Nigeria’s Technical Aid Corps and Saint Lucia’s Political and Economic Cooperation Development Division, aiming to deploy Nigerian professionals in health, education, agriculture, and technical sectors. The collaboration also seeks to exchange best practices in governance, youth empowerment, and institutional capacity building, alongside joint capacity development initiatives that could serve as models for Africa-Caribbean cooperation.

Further, Nigeria encourages exploring education diplomacy through scholarships, academic exchanges, and joint research to deepen people-to-people connections. Climate change adaptation, disaster risk reduction, and access to climate finance were emphasized as key areas for cooperation, recognizing the shared vulnerabilities of both countries, especially Saint Lucia as a Small Island Developing State (SIDS). Nigeria pledged to support Saint Lucia’s concerns on international platforms including the UN, Commonwealth, African Union, and the AU-CARICOM initiatives, underscoring a commitment to inclusive global engagement and regional solidarity.