President of Nigeria, His Excellency Bola Ahmed Tinubu, departed Saint Lucia on Friday, July 4, heartened by the welcome he received during a two-day official state visit.

The state visit took place from June 30 to July 1, during which he attended a Joint Session of Parliament—comprising the both the Senate and the House of Assembly of Saint Lucia; met with OECS Heads of Government; and discussed the development of educational partnerships with the Board of Governors of the Sir Arthur Lewis Community College.

President Tinubu acknowledged the hospitality of the government and people of Saint Lucia.

“Let me first thank all of you, my brothers and sisters, for the invitation and the great welcome afforded me. The hospitality has been great, the knowledge, experience and the feeling at this moment is very warm. I thank all of you.”

President of the Senate, Hon. Alvina Reynolds, underscored the significance of the president’s visit.

“Your presence here is historic not only for this Parliament but for the people of Saint Lucia as a whole,” she said. “It was from these shores and lands of Nigeria and other African countries that our ancestors and forefathers started arriving here in European slave ships, in that infamous and horrible Atlantic slave trade that spanned over 350 years and shaped the history of the Caribbean.

“An 1815 census revealed that of the 16, 282 forcefully enslaved people in Saint Lucia that year, 3488 were born in Africa. Of these, 34 percent were from Nigeria. The remainder were born in Saint Lucia, the majority of whose parentage came from Senegal and Nigeria.

“Your arrival in Saint Lucia commences a rediscovery of the bonds between the people of Saint Lucia and the people of Nigeria. Your visit reignites a vision to reunite us with our homeland and for our people to work together.”

During his stay, HE Bola Ahmed Tinubu was conferred the title of Knight Commander of the Order of Saint Lucia. Thus, upon completion of the formal Investiture, His Excellency will be accorded the title Sir Bola Ahmed Tinubu, President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

The President left Castries via air transfer from the George FL Charles Airport to the Hewanorra International Airport in preparation for departure.  He will fly to Brazil to participate in the 17th Summit of BRICS in Rio de Janeiro, commencing July 6.