President Bola Tinubu’s visit to Saint Lucia has sparked a powerful moment of historical reflection and renewed connection, as Senate President Alvina Reynolds traced the ancestral roots of many Saint Lucians back to Nigeria and other parts of West Africa.
Speaking during a joint sitting of Saint Lucia’s bicameral parliament on Monday, Reynolds described the Nigerian leader’s visit as both historic and symbolic, rekindling cultural and spiritual ties formed through centuries of shared history.
Citing a British census from 1815, Reynolds revealed that of the 16,282 enslaved people in Saint Lucia at the time, 3,488 were born in Africa. Of those, 34 per cent were from Nigeria, 11 per cent from the Nigeria-Cameroon region, and 22 per cent from the Congo. The rest, though born on the island, descended largely from people taken from Senegambia and Nigeria.
“The transatlantic slave trade lasted over 350 years, and it created unbreakable bonds between Africa and the Caribbean,” she said. “Your presence today rekindles a mission to reunite us with our homeland.”
Reynolds also paid tribute to Sir Darnley Alexander, a Saint Lucian who moved to Nigeria in 1957 and went on to serve as the country’s Chief Justice from 1975 to 1979. She further acknowledged the ongoing cultural exchange, pointing to the role of Nigerian Catholic priests, including Father Festus, currently serving in Saint Lucia.
Tinubu’s address came on World Parliament Day, which Reynolds described as a moment to reflect on the role of lawmakers and to honour democratic values. She praised Tinubu’s longstanding efforts in defending democracy in Nigeria and welcomed the support of leaders from across the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) who were present at the joint session.
Saint Lucian Prime Minister Philip J. Pierre called the visit a moment of “freedom and celebration” and affirmed the enduring connection between West Africa and the Caribbean.
“We may have been separated by distance, but spiritually and culturally, we have always remained united,” Pierre said. “Saint Lucia is a small fragment of Africa.”
Pierre applauded the Nigerian community’s contributions to Saint Lucia, especially in areas like healthcare, religion, tourism, cuisine, and pop culture, highlighting the popularity of Afrobeats, Nollywood films, and Nigerian literature among young Saint Lucians.
He proposed deeper collaboration with Nigeria in air travel, renewable energy, creative industries, fintech, and health, noting that a bilateral agreement is underway to bring more Nigerian medical professionals into Saint Lucia.
“Establishing a direct air link would boost tourism, trade, and cultural exchange,” he added.
He concluded by expressing hope that Tinubu’s visit would be the beginning of a long-term partnership, ahead of the upcoming Africa-CARICOM Summit in Ethiopia.
The session was attended by leaders and representatives from OECS countries, including Dominica, Grenada, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Antigua and Barbuda, Montserrat, and Saint Martin.
On Saturday, Tinubu’s aide, Bayo Onanuga, described the visit as a strategic diplomatic move to deepen diaspora, cultural, and economic ties between Nigeria and the Caribbean, despite criticism from some quarters in Nigeria.
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