The government of Saint Lucia has conferred its most prestigious national honour, the Knight Commander of the Order of Saint Lucia (KCOSL), on President Bola Tinubu.
The announcement was made by the Saint Lucian government on Tuesday via a post on its official X (formerly Twitter) account.
The tweet stated, “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.”
Earlier on Monday, President Tinubu addressed a joint session of the Saint Lucian Senate and House of Assembly, where he pledged his administration’s commitment to deepening bilateral relations between Nigeria and the Caribbean island.
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During his address, he articulated the purpose of his visit, stating, “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.
“It also reflects our desire as a people to advance prosperity, sustainable development, and strengthen familial bonds.”
He emphasised the historical, cultural, and aspirational ties linking the two nations, expressing Nigeria’s determination to expand relations in areas such as trade, investment, tourism, education, and cultural exchange, as well as enhance consular services for their respective citizens.
In a related statement, the Saint Lucian government confirmed its readiness to formalise diplomatic relations with Nigeria.
The statement also indicated an agreement to establish a visa waiver arrangement for holders of diplomatic and official passports from the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) member countries.
Furthermore, Saint Lucia announced that Nigeria would provide scholarships to OECS citizens and extend the services of Nigeria’s Technical Aid Corps (TAC) to OECS nations.
