President Bola Tinubu was on Monday honoured with a symbolic reception at the bicameral parliament of Saint Lucia, where leaders of the Caribbean island affirmed historic and cultural ties with Nigeria, citing deep ancestral connections dating back to the transatlantic slave trade.
In her address to the joint sitting, the President of the Saint Lucian Senate, Alvina Reynolds, stated that historical records show that a large number of African slaves brought to Saint Lucia originated from Nigeria.
Citing an 1815 British census, Reynolds revealed that of the 3,488 enslaved people born in Africa and documented in the census, 34 percent were from Nigeria, 11 percent from the Nigeria-Cameroon region, and 22 percent from the Congo.
The remaining enslaved people, born on the island, were largely descendants of Nigerians and people from the Senegambia region.
Reynolds described Tinubu’s presence in the Caribbean nation as historic and a reaffirmation of spiritual and cultural kinship with Africa.
“Your presence today rekindles a mission to reunite us with our homeland,” she said, calling for greater collaboration between the two regions.
The occasion also marked World Parliament Day, a point not lost on Reynolds, who praised Tinubu’s longstanding commitment to democratic values.
Highlighting past links, Reynolds paid tribute to Saint Lucian-born Sir Darnley Alexander, who migrated to Nigeria in 1957 and rose to become the country’s Chief Justice from 1975 to 1979.
She further acknowledged Nigerian Catholic priests serving in Saint Lucia, including Father Festus, a guest at the parliamentary session.
Echoing similar sentiments, Saint Lucia’s Prime Minister, Philip J. Pierre, hailed Tinubu’s visit as a “moment of freedom and celebration,” describing the island as “a small fragment of Africa.”
“Our people have been separated by geography, but never by spirit or culture,” Pierre said, emphasizing the influence of Nigerian music, movies, and literature on Saint Lucian youth. “From Afrobeats to Nollywood, our young people are rediscovering Africa.”
Pierre also acknowledged the significant contributions of Nigerians to Saint Lucia’s healthcare, religious life, and tourism sector.
The prime minister revealed that an agreement was being finalized between Nigeria’s Ministry of Health and the Saint Lucian government to deploy Nigerian medical professionals to the island.
He proposed direct air travel links to boost trade, tourism, and cultural exchanges between both nations.
Tinubu’s visit, which comes amid mixed reactions from Nigerians back home, was defended by his media adviser, Bayo Onanuga, as part of Nigeria’s strategic foreign policy objectives.
Onanuga described it as a diplomatic milestone aimed at strengthening Nigeria-Caribbean relations.
The event was attended by leaders of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS), including prime ministers from Dominica, Grenada, and Saint Kitts and Nevis, along with representatives from Antigua and Barbuda, Montserrat, and Saint Martin.
Tinubu is also expected to participate in the upcoming Africa-CARICOM summit scheduled to take place in Ethiopia.
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