President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has been awarded the highest national honour of Saint Lucia, the title of Knight Commander of the Order of Saint Lucia (KCOSL), in recognition of his role in promoting deeper ties between Africa and the Caribbean.
The honour was formally conferred by the Governor-General of Saint Lucia, according to an announcement shared by the government of the island nation via its official X (formerly Twitter) handle on Monday.
“The Government of Saint Lucia is pleased to announce that the Governor General has conferred the title of Knight Commander of the Order of Saint Lucia (KCOSL) upon H.E. Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,” the statement read.
President Tinubu, who was on an official visit to the Caribbean nation, also addressed a joint session of the Senate and House of Assembly in Castries. During his speech, he reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to strengthening bilateral relations with Saint Lucia and other members of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS).
“My visit to Saint Lucia reflects a shared ambition to deepen economic ties, promote cultural exchange, and advance cooperation in areas such as trade, education, tourism, and investment,” Tinubu said. “It also demonstrates our desire to reconnect historical bonds between Africa and the Caribbean.”
President Tinubu emphasized the importance of building sustainable partnerships and pledged that his administration would work towards expanding access to consular services and scholarships for citizens of both nations.
In response, the Saint Lucian government expressed readiness to formalize diplomatic relations with Nigeria. As part of the proposed cooperation, Saint Lucia will establish a visa waiver agreement for holders of diplomatic and official passports from both countries.
The government also announced plans to benefit from Nigeria’s Technical Aid Corps (TAC) programme and future scholarship opportunities for OECS citizens.
The development is seen as a significant step toward reinforcing historical and cultural ties between Nigeria and Caribbean nations, while laying the foundation for increased engagement across multiple sectors.
