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Saint Lucia Confers Highest National Honour on President Tinubu
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has been conferred with the title of Knight Commander of the Order of Saint Lucia (KCOSL) — the highest national honour in the Caribbean nation — as part of his official visit to the country.
Announcing the conferment in a statement on X (formerly Twitter), the government of Saint Lucia said: “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.”
Tinubu arrived in Saint Lucia on Saturday at the start of a two-nation diplomatic tour of the Caribbean and South America. During his visit, he addressed a special joint session of the Senate and House of Assembly of Saint Lucia, where he called for deeper ties between Africa and the Caribbean.
“My visit to Saint Lucia is in keeping with the ideal of building the bridge between Africa and the Caribbean and creating a pathway to deepen economic ties and foster mutual cooperation,” he said. “It also reflects our desire as a people to advance prosperity, sustainable development, and strengthen familial bonds.”
He emphasised Nigeria’s readiness to expand bilateral cooperation with Saint Lucia in several key sectors.
“Nigeria and the island of Saint Lucia are bound by history, culture, and common aspirations,” Tinubu said. “Our administration is determined to nurture and expand bilateral relations on trade, investment, tourism, education, and cultural exchange, as well as improve consular services for the citizens of both our nations.”
Meanwhile, the government of Saint Lucia has announced plans to formalise diplomatic relations with Nigeria, aiming to build a structured framework for collaboration across a wide range of mutually beneficial areas.
“Saint Lucia and the Federal Republic of Nigeria will establish a visa waiver arrangement for holders of diplomatic and official passports from OECS member states,” it said in an official statement.
It added that Nigeria will provide scholarships to citizens of member countries of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) and extend the services of the Nigerian Technical Aid Corps (TAC) to the region.
