President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has been conferred with Saint Lucia’s highest national honour — the Knight Commander of the Order of Saint Lucia (KCOSL). The honour was officially announced on Monday by the Caribbean nation’s government via a post on its official X account.
“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 is on a visit to the island nation, addressed a joint session of the Saint Lucian Senate and House of Assembly. In his speech, he pledged to strengthen Nigeria’s bilateral ties with Saint Lucia, emphasising cooperation in trade, tourism, education, and cultural exchange.
“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,” Tinubu said. “Our administration is determined to nurture and expand bilateral relations… and improve consular services for the citizens of both our nations.”
In a further show of diplomatic commitment, the government of Saint Lucia announced plans to formalise diplomatic relations with Nigeria. It said a visa waiver arrangement for holders of diplomatic and official passports from Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) member countries would be established.
Additionally, Nigeria will offer scholarships to OECS citizens and extend the services of its Technical Aid Corps (TAC) to the region, reinforcing the partnership between Nigeria and Caribbean states.
