Nigeria, Saint Lucia deepen ties, move to formalize relations

By Ochiaka Ugwu

Nigeria and Saint Lucia have deepened bilateral ties with plans to formalize diplomatic relations in a high-level meeting involving Nigerian Foreign Minister, Amb. Yusuf Maitama Tuggar and Minister for External Affairs, International Trade, Civil Aviation, and Diaspora Affairs of Saint Lucia, Hon. Alva Romanus Baptiste, focusing on exploring new frontiers of cooperation and mutual engagement.

In a press statement released Monday in Abuja by Special Assistant on Media and Communications Strategy to Nigerian Foreign Minister, Alkasim Abdulkadir, it noted that, “As part of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s ongoing state visit to Saint Lucia, the Honourable Minister of Foreign Affairs of Nigeria, H.E. Ambassador Yusuf Maitama Tuggar, OON, held a bilateral meeting with Honourable Alva Romanus Baptiste, Minister for External Affairs, International Trade, Civil Aviation, and Diaspora Affairs of Saint Lucia, to explore new frontiers of cooperation and mutual engagement.

“Ambassador Tuggar conveyed warm greetings from the Government and people of Nigeria to the Government and people of Saint Lucia, and expressed appreciation for the hospitality extended to President Tinubu’s delegation.

“The Minister underscored the deep historical and cultural bonds between Nigeria and Saint Lucia, rooted in African ancestry, the legacy of the transatlantic slave trade, and shared British colonial heritage. These ties, he noted, form a firm foundation for renewed diplomatic and cultural engagement.”