St Lucia Prime Minister Philip Pierre, had at a pre-cabinet press briefing, disclosed that the president would embark on a seven-day working visit and vacation to the island from June 28 to July 4.

Pierre was quoted by St Lucia Times as saying that “two of these days, June 30 and July 1, will be dedicated to an official visit, with the remainder of the trip set aside as a personal vacation for the president.”

He explained that the visit represents a unique and historic opportunity to deepen the bonds between Africa and the Caribbean, noting that as descendants of a shared heritage, the people of the region traced deep links to the African continent, particularly Nigeria.

• Killings: Rejig Nigeria’s security architecture, SSANU tells Tinubu
• Kwankwaso: Anyone free to join us – APC

“These long-standing cultural and historical connections compel us to continue nurturing and expanding our partnerships with Africa in ways that are meaningful, strategic and sustainable,” the prime minister said.

The presidency also on Friday said the visit was aimed at rekindling ancestral bonds, igniting a new era of diplomatic, cultural, and economic possibilities between the two nations, noting that “in an era of global uncertainty, deepening cooperation between the Global South, particularly between continental Africa and the Caribbean, has become imperative.”

The president would also attend BRICS Summit in Brazil after visiting St Lucia.

Win or lose for Nigeria

Meanwhile, the trip has raised questions over whether Tinubu should spend taxpayers’ money to visit a country with a land area of 617 square kilometres—about 40 per cent less than the landmass of Lagos, the smallest state in Nigeria—and with a population almost the same as Epe Local Government Area in Lagos, with an estimated 181,715 people.

“I am short of saying that now that he (Tinubu) is the president, it’s an opportunity for him to visit some places he had always wanted to visit,” said a public analyst, Liborous Oshoma.

“What will be the benefit of a Nigerian president wasting taxpayers’ money to visit St. Lucia? None. Let’s assume there are enormous benefits. Why can’t the Minister of Foreign Affairs do that? Why must it be the president? Why can’t it be the Minister of Interior? he queried.

Oshoma said unlike in Nigeria, where a foreign affairs minister escorts the president anytime he visits a country, in other climes, visits to countries such as St Lucia are delegated to foreign secretaries. He said it was worrisome the president would embark on such a trip amid economic and security crises facing Nigeria.

“Chief Obafemi Awolowo said in his time that the problem of Nigeria was so enormous that [if elected] as president, he would not travel for the first two years. He would have to sit down, look inwards and solve the problems. But today, the problems are even more than when Awolowo made that statement. Insecurity has become so challenging that we don’t even value human lives. It’s quite sad. We are waiting to read the statement from the presidency on the benefits of such a visit.

“The president is behaving as if we are in an economic boom and so, he works for a few weeks and goes on vacation. There is no means in this visit; that is why they are trying to cloak it as a working visit and vacation. The country is boiling, people are being killed and then he is visiting the island for a holiday, and they find a way to call it a working visit. For me, it’s an outrageous display of irresponsibility on the part of any Nigerian leader, despite the condition we are in now, to be selecting small countries like Lucia to visit, which will not bring any major benefit to us as a country,” he said.

But in an article published on BusinessDay, a businessman and former Chief Executive Officer of the Tony Emelu Foundation, Wiebe Boer, described the trip as a strategically important milestone that can deepen Nigeria’s partnership with the Caribbean, unlocking broad economic, cultural, and social opportunities across the entire region.

Boer, the Chief Growth Officer at JIPA Network, a healthcare company that collaborates with medical experts to provide healthcare and critical medical services in the Caribbean, said healthcare professionals from Nigeria work in the Saint Lucian health sector, bridging shortages of healthcare workers in the country and enhancing service delivery.

“While Saint Lucia itself is a small island nation with a population of just under 200,000, it holds outsized importance as the headquarters of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS), a regional body of seven nations dedicated to economic integration and cooperation. Saint Lucia is also a valued member of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), which comprises 15 countries with a combined GDP of approximately USD 130 billion. CARICOM represents a significant regional market and offers a gateway to the United States—the world’s largest economy.

“This visit to Saint Lucia is therefore a strategic window to these larger regional bodies, opening pathways for Nigerian investors, cultural ambassadors, healthcare professionals, and policymakers to engage with the Caribbean at scale,” he wrote.

Boer revealed that Nigerian music had made inroads to Saint Lucia and across the Caribbean, with artists such as Ruger, Ayra Starr, Kizz Daniel and Joeboy performing at the Saint Lucia Jazz and Arts Festival at different times.

“Nollywood films, featuring stars like Genevieve Nnaji and Ramsey Nouah, are widely cherished and form part of the rich cultural fabric shared between Nigeria and Saint Lucia,” he added.

Boer explained that Caribbean banks and investors possess significant liquidity that makes them attractive investment destinations and potential investors in Nigerian opportunities. He said Nigerian banks and fintech companies are well-positioned to modernise Caribbean financial systems, expand digital payment platforms, and foster cross-border investment.

“Saint Lucia and much of the Caribbean rely heavily on imported fossil fuels, particularly diesel, which is costly and unsustainable. Nigeria, as a major petroleum producer, offers the Caribbean a stable supplier of petroleum and petroleum products. Furthermore, Nigerian renewable energy companies possess the expertise and technology to help Caribbean nations transition towards cleaner, more sustainable energy mixes. Nigeria’s regulatory and technical know-how can accelerate this vital shift.

“In addition to the existing Nigerian medical professionals, there is great potential for formalised workforce exchange programmes, enabling Nigerian doctors, nurses, and specialists to fill critical gaps in the Caribbean’s healthcare systems. This collaboration supports improved health outcomes and regional resilience,” he added.

Visit means a lot to St Lucia – Diplomat

Asked who stands to benefit more from the visit, a former External Affairs minister and diplomat, Prof Bolaji Akinyemi, said, “I don’t have the details, but supposing Nigeria needs just one more vote to be a member of, say, the security council of the United Nations, we may need just one vote and Lucia may give us that.”

Akinyemi, however, said beyond economic and diplomatic reasons, Tinubu’s visit would mean a lot to the people of St Lucia.

“You won’t be surprised that a small country would value the fact that you pay attention to them when they have been ignored for so long. It (the visit) means a lot to them. These are slaves taken away from here; whom our great grandfathers sold into slavery. It means a lot for them to be recognised that we are brothers and sisters,” he stated.

Akinyemi also downplayed the visit amidst renewed deadly attacks in several parts of the country, especially in Benue, Plateau, and Borno, among other states, saying, “I don’t think seven days the President will spend in St Lucia is so critical that Nigeria is going to crumble.”

Presidency defends trip

While addressing a special joint session of the Senate and House of Assembly of St Lucia on Monday, President Tinubu formally announced the establishment of diplomatic relations with the country, describing it as a “symbolic bridge that will provide a gateway in fostering closer ties between us.”

He proposed creating a Joint Commission or Political Consultation Agreement as a mechanism for structured cooperation between Nigeria and the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS).

President Tinubu, in a statement by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, also announced that he would offer full scholarships to students of OECS to promote cultural understanding that further strengthens the bond between Nigeria and the Eastern Caribbean states.

He declared Nigeria’s openness to visa waivers for OECS diplomatic and official passport holders, and urged reciprocal gestures to facilitate smoother official travel and closer institutional cooperation.

On economic diplomacy and trade, President Tinubu offered OECS access to Africa’s largest market and called for joint ventures and deeper commercial ties.

He advocated enhanced trade and investment partnerships, especially in agriculture, manufacturing, and services, that would position Nigeria as a supplier and destination for OECS exports.

President Tinubu proposed a maritime university collaboration and extending Nigeria’s Technical Aid Corps (TAC) programme to OECS countries.

He emphasised Nigeria’s readiness to provide skilled education, healthcare, and engineering professionals to support regional capacity-building.