President Bola Tinubu on Monday proposed a visa waiver arrangement for holders of diplomatic and official passports from member states of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS), during a special address to a joint session of the Saint Lucian Parliament.
Speaking at the Sandals Grande Saint Lucian Conference Hall, Tinubu said Nigeria is willing to initiate the process of lifting visa restrictions for OECS officials and called for a reciprocal arrangement to ease official travel between both regions.
He noted that the measure would facilitate institutional cooperation, adding that increased movement of officials could strengthen bilateral and multilateral engagements.
“Nigeria is open to exploring a visa waiver arrangement for holders of diplomatic and official passports from OECS countries travelling to Nigeria,” the president said. “I respectfully urge a reciprocal gesture to enable smoother movement of officials and foster closer institutional cooperation.”
The president also outlined a framework for deepening Nigeria’s engagement with the Caribbean, calling for formal agreements that define cooperation in education, research, and climate adaptation.
He advocated partnerships between Nigerian institutions and maritime universities in the OECS, highlighting the need to build technical capacity and encourage long-term academic exchange.
“Our goal should be to jointly develop solutions to shared challenges, particularly in health and environmental management,” he said.
Tinubu proposed joint scientific initiatives in areas such as disease control, sustainable agriculture, flooding, and drought response, adding that collaboration on climate change adaptation and disaster risk management is critical for both regions.
The president further emphasised the importance of cultural and human exchanges, stating that mutual understanding must be built from “the ground up” through educational and community-level partnerships.
He encouraged more frequent people-to-people contact and cultural awareness among future generations.
Tinubu also offered to expand the Nigerian Technical Aid Corps’ presence in the Caribbean.
“Nigeria is ready to extend the services of the Nigerian Technical Aid Corps to OECS countries,” he said, adding that such support would help address capacity gaps in key sectors.
His speech formed part of a state visit to Saint Lucia, which the Nigerian government has described as a strategic engagement aimed at rekindling diplomatic and cultural ties. The Presidency said the visit supports Nigeria’s foreign policy priorities under the “Four D’s” framework—Democracy, Development, Diaspora, and Demography—and aligns with South-South cooperation.
In a statement released Sunday, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, described the visit as an effort to reconnect with regions that share ancestral and historical links with Nigeria.
“The visit rekindles our ancestral bonds, igniting a new era of diplomatic, cultural, and economic possibilities between our nations,” the statement said.
Tinubu’s visit marks the first by an African head of state to Saint Lucia since Nelson Mandela attended the 1998 CARICOM Heads of Government Summit.
