President Bola Tinubu has approved a new scholarship initiative that will enable students from the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) to pursue higher education in Nigerian universities starting from the next academic session.
President Tinubu announced the programme during a joint press conference with the Prime Minister of Saint Lucia, Philip J. Pierre, in Gros Islet, Saint Lucia. He disclosed that the scholarship scheme would be jointly managed by a committee comprising representatives from Nigeria and OECS member states.
“The Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States is very close to us in Africa,” Tinubu said. “We are moving forward to facilitate business and education opportunities, capacity building, and explore other areas such as agriculture and food security. We won’t drop the ball.”
According to him, the initiative is part of broader efforts to strengthen bilateral cooperation between Nigeria and the Caribbean, focusing on education, trade, development, and capacity building.
The Nigerian leader also revealed that talks are ongoing to introduce visa waivers for holders of diplomatic and official passports from OECS countries to ease travel and foster closer ties.
“I don’t look at difficulties. I look at problem-solving. If we move on a straight line, we get our goal achieved, and there will be no problems,” Tinubu stated while addressing concerns over the challenges in bilateral relations.
Prime Minister Pierre lauded the scholarship programme, describing it as a “timely and practical expression of solidarity” from Nigeria to the Caribbean.
He noted that aside from education, discussions also covered tourism, air connectivity, and visa facilitation, all aimed at strengthening people-to-people ties.
“We expect students to begin their studies in Nigeria in the next academic year. We have formed a joint committee to address education, trade, and travel issues, and the people-to-people exchange will be key,” Pierre said.
Earlier in the day, President Tinubu addressed a special joint sitting of the Saint Lucian Parliament where he restated his commitment to a renewed and dynamic partnership between Nigeria and Caribbean nations.
