FORMALIZING NIGERIA, ST. LUCIA RELATIONSHIP VERY TIMELY, SAYS NWABUISI, CONSUL TO NIGERIA
Some Nigerians have wondered what informed President Bola Tinubu recent state visits to the opening of doors for fruitful formal engagement that will boost investments and make Nigeria’s huge presence felt among the about 200,000 population of beautiful Saint Lucia. The host nation has even gone ahead to appoint one of the Nigerians there, Mr. Justin Nwabuisi as Honorary Consul of Saint Lucia to East Caribbean island-nation of Saint Lucia. While the cross-cultural and human capital development dividends have started unfolding, as being showcased by government, the Nigerian private sector players in that country were evidently ecstatic that President Tinubu has initiated an Nigeria, and is awaiting a formal inauguration. In this interview with CHESA in Saint Lucia on the sidelines of President Tinubu visit, Mr. Nwabuisi explains to THE AUTHORITY what this entails.
Q: May I know what informed the establishment or proposed establishment of this initiative that puts you in charge Saint Lucian affairs in Nigeria?
A: I wouldn’t say I’m exactly in charge of Saint Lucia, but I’ve been appointed or designated as the Honorary Consul of Saint Lucia to Nigeria. This is something that has been in the making before this time, as both countries have shared long-term history from the conversation that we’ve been having all the time, and they have actually moved so far at this point to establish this relationship now. So it’s time for these nations to come together and share mutual benefits in all kinds of ways, stretching from commerce to trading to tourism and everything that’s wonderful for both nations. We are really excited to have this opportunity, because now that the leaders have met, the relationships have been established, so we’re looking forward to kicking off a whole series of things that we will be trying to share to the peoples of both nations. My presence in Lucia has actually been very welcoming to the people and they have afforded me this opportunity to represent them in Nigeria.
Q: What in specific terms do you want to start off this new appointment with?
A: Number one drive is to establish a direct flight from Nigeria to St. Lucia. We are trying to make St. Lucia the hub for the OECS and even the CARICOM as a place to fly, where people from Nigeria can do business, can invest, can come for education, can come for wellness, and all kinds of other opportunities that’s out there for us to explore. So yes, this is what triggered it.
Q: What is the population of Nigerians in St. Lucia?
A: Although there has not been any record of how many Nigerians are here, I believe we have a good number of Nigerians who have been here for education and some that are quite established. Some of them have done quite well; some are still looking for a pathway. It’s my understanding that we have an association here that goes back as far as 10 years with a leadership. So, I’ve met some of the people involved, and we’re discussing now how to establish the presence of Nigerians here. The President has offered some really good things to St Lucia in the form of scholarships and other things that will help to build this relationship. His visit could not have come at a better time, this nation has been waiting to meet the President.
So, I am personally very excited that we have this opportunity to establish this relationship at this point; and as you can see, it’s been a wonderful few days, that’s really great and exciting. So it’s a great thing and I think it’s a divine timing.
Q: How will you describe the relationship between St. Lucia and Nigeria?
A: From personal experience and having spoken to a good number of St. Lucians, I have met quite a few of them that love our culture. They love the food, they love the fashion, the entertainment, the pop culture, and you know, music culture, like we call it. So we’re looking forward to bringing Nollywood, and we’re bringing fashion. You know how amazing we are when it comes to fashion, we have the beautiful fabrics, we have the designs, and we have everything that you look forward to having. This nation is ready for Nigeria, and I believe Nigeria is also ready for this nation. So there’s definitely one way to go, and that is to improve relations going forward.
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