Joseph Bakare
President Bola Tinubu announced that the scholarship programme for students from the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) to study in Nigerian universities will commence in the next academic year.
At a joint press conference with the Prime Minister of Saint Lucia, Philip J. Pierre, following a high-level working luncheon with OECS leaders in Gros Islet on Monday, President Tinubu said the initiative has already commenced.
The Nigerian leader explained that the initiative is part of a broader cooperation framework to strengthen people-to-people ties and expand opportunities in education, trade, and development.
The President further disclosed that a proposal for visa waivers for holders of diplomatic and official passports from OECS member states is also on course.
“I believe we can take advantage of our presence here to get from the fruit that is lower to us and then reach the opportunity we have right here.
“The Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States is very close to us in Africa, and I thank them for the opportunity to address the joint session of Parliament and actualise our dreams of getting closer to facilitate business and education opportunities, capacity building, and look at other areas of agriculture and food security.
“We can easily do that by having a working commission. And we don’t have to look farther away. The organisation itself has indicated several actions. We are moving forward from there. We won’t drop the ball,” he said.
The scholarship scheme, developed in partnership with OECS leadership, will be overseen by a joint implementation committee comprising representatives from Nigeria and OECS member states.
According to President Tinubu, the committee is tasked with finalising modalities and ensuring that beneficiaries begin studies in Nigerian institutions in the upcoming academic year.
Responding to a question from the media on potential challenges in expanding cooperation with the OECS in areas such as trade, investment, health, education, culture, and climate resilience, President Tinubu stated:
“I don’t look at difficulties. I look at problem-solving. And that is why the working lunch promoted a quick understanding of the expected difficulty level.
“If we take a geometric definition of a straight line, which is the quickest point between two points — if we move on a straight line, we get our goal achieved, and there will be no problems,” he said.
Prime Minister Pierre welcomed the scholarship initiative, describing it as a timely and practical expression of solidarity.
“We expect students to begin their studies in Nigeria in the next academic year, based on the President’s directive. This is immediate action,” the Prime Minister said.
He also confirmed that visa facilitation has been listed as a priority agenda item for the Nigeria–OECS Joint Committee, alongside improving air connectivity, trade, and tourism.
Responding to a question on how soon Saint Lucia and other OECS countries might implement reciprocal visa waivers, Prime Minister Pierre said:
“Well, at the joint meeting, we discussed that. Additionally, there are some islands in the OECS, such as St. Kitts, where visa requirements do not apply.
“We said that the committee will deal with all these issues, and the first on the agenda will be the people-to-people exchange, which will come with the visa requirements. So we hope to have a speedy answer to that as soon as possible.”
Earlier in the day, President Tinubu addressed a special joint session of the Senate and House of Assembly of Saint Lucia, where he outlined his vision for a new chapter of engagement between Nigeria and the OECS.
“We held a joint session of Parliament where you heard from the President on his vision for the future relationship between the OECS and Nigeria. We had a high-level luncheon where the President outlined to us how the OECS would benefit from the country of Nigeria.
“To this effect, we have formed a joint committee comprising members of the Nigerian government and members of the OECS to deal with some pressing issues: education, air travel, trade, and tourism,” Prime Minister Pierre said.