By Joy Odor
Nigeria and Saint Lucia Strengthen Ties through Bilateral Meeting
During President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s state visit to Saint Lucia, Minister of Foreign Affairs Ambassador Yusuf Maitama Tuggar met with Saint Lucia’s Minister for External Affairs Alva Romanus Baptiste to explore areas of cooperation.
According to Alkasim Abdulkadir, the Special Assistant on Media and Communications Strategy to the Honorable Minister of Foreign Affairs in a press statement made available to newsmen in Abuja on Monday informed that both nations discussed establishing formal diplomatic relations, citing historical and cultural bonds rooted in African ancestry and shared British colonial heritage.
He mentioned that the Key Areas of Cooperation of discussion included:-
– *Diplomatic Relations*: Nigeria and Saint Lucia aim to formalize diplomatic ties, enhancing bilateral and multilateral collaboration within the OECS and CARICOM frameworks.
– *Technical Cooperation*: Ambassador Tuggar proposed a partnership between Nigeria’s Technical Aid Corps (NTAC) and Saint Lucia’s Political & Economic Cooperation Development Division, focusing on:
– Deploying Nigerian professionals in health, education, agriculture, and technical services.
– Exchanging best practices in governance and youth empowerment.
– Designing joint capacity development initiatives.
– *Education Diplomacy*: Both countries will explore opportunities for scholarships, academic exchanges, and collaborative research programs.
– *Trade and Investment*: Nigeria is interested in expanding trade and investment relations with Saint Lucia, particularly in agriculture, tourism, manufacturing, renewable energy, and ICT.
– *Climate Change*: Ambassador Tuggar emphasized cooperation on climate change adaptation, disaster risk reduction, and access to climate finance, given both nations’ vulnerability to environmental threats.
The meeting concluded with Ambassador Tuggar expressing confidence that the growing partnership between Nigeria and Saint Lucia would lead to mutual prosperity and greater regional solidarity.
He thanked Minister Baptiste for his commitment to strengthening ties between the two nations.
