Get Guardian on GooglePresident Bola Tinubu will today kick off his state visit to Saint Lucia with a courtesy call on the Governor-General and Prime Minister Philip Pierre.
Tinubu landed at Hewanorra International Airport, Vieux Fort, Saint Lucia, on Saturday at 5.30 p.m. local time, for the first leg of his two-nation tour to the Caribbean and South America.
In a statement signed by Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, the President was received by the Governor-General of Saint Lucia, Cyril Errol Melchiades Charles, and Prime Minister Philip J. Pierre after a brief military honours
The statement is titled ‘President Tinubu Arrives In Saint Lucia For State Visit.
According to the President’s itinerary, Tinubu is expected to address a special joint session of the Senate and the House of Assembly of Saint Lucia at William Jefferson Clinton Ballroom, Sandals Grande, Gros Islet on Monday. Guests include the Heads of Government of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States, senior Saint Lucian government officials, members of the diplomatic corps, the Nigerian community in Saint Lucia, and the Director-General of the OECS, Dr Didacus Jules.
Tinubu will also hold a high-level working luncheon with the Heads of Government of OECS after the joint session of the Parliament of Saint Lucia. The working luncheon will focus on deepening cooperation between Nigeria and the OECS, focusing on economic partnerships and cultural solidarity for shared prosperity.
He will visit the Sir Arthur Lewis Community College in Castries to strengthen educational ties between Nigeria and Saint Lucia.
“President Tinubu’s visit underscores Nigeria’s commitment to strengthening diplomatic and economic relations with Caribbean states, particularly within the African Union’s Sixth Region framework, which recognises the African diaspora as a vital partner in the continent’s development,” Onanuga said.
The President will head to Brazil to participate in the 2025 BRICS Summit in Rio de Janeiro from July 6 to 7 at the invitation of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva of Brazil.
