Tinubu in the Caribbean: A welcome pivot towards strategic diplomacy

There is more to President Bola Tinubu’s planned trip to Saint Lucia than diplomatic entertainment. If managed with seriousness and foresight, it could signal a strategic turn in Nigeria’s foreign relations: a shift toward engaging with the Caribbean as a dynamic partner rather than a cultural cousin.

Saint Lucia, a nation of under 200,000 people, holds considerable regional influence. As the headquarters of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States and a key member of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), it is effectively a gateway to a $130bn regional economy. The Caribbean bloc, often overlooked by African powers, presents Nigeria with underutilised trade, cultural, and investment channels that could diversify its global partnerships beyond traditional corridors in Europe, China, and the US.

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The commonalities between Nigeria and Caribbean nations are well documented, from shared histories of enslavement and colonialism to deep diasporic ties. But beyond historical sentiment lies a modern economic opportunity: a mutual interest in healthcare development, energy transition, digital innovation, and cultural commerce.

The Caribbean faces acute shortages of healthcare personnel, and Nigeria has a surplus of trained but underemployed medical professionals. Formalised exchange programmes could serve both regions, enhancing healthcare outcomes while creating employment pipelines. Saint Lucia, in the process of implementing a universal health coverage scheme, would benefit from Nigeria’s experience with national health insurance models, even if imperfectly applied at home.

“A framework for Nigeria-Caribbean cooperation, covering trade, culture, education, healthcare, and transportation, should be developed and monitored, with input from private sector stakeholders on both sides.”

Financial services represent another area of alignment. Nigeria’s flourishing fintech sector, born out of necessity, is increasingly mature and exportable. Caribbean nations, many of which continue to grapple with legacy banking systems and financial exclusion, are natural candidates for digital finance partnerships. The regulatory expertise and entrepreneurial dynamism of Nigeria’s fintech firms, if paired with the liquidity and dollar-pegged currencies of many Caribbean jurisdictions, could create new cross-border financial ecosystems.

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Energy cooperation is both urgent and realistic. Much of the Caribbean relies on imported diesel for electricity generation, with resulting cost volatility. Nigeria could supply refined petroleum products, but the opportunity extends further. Its growing renewable energy sector has the potential to support the Caribbean’s push for a greener energy mix, particularly through distributed solar systems. The exchange of technical expertise, rather than merely fuel exports, would better serve long-term interests on both sides.

Perhaps the most glaring structural gap is the absence of direct air connectivity between Nigeria and the Caribbean. Without aviation links, trade and tourism remain theoretical. Any serious ambition for continental engagement requires physical routes, not just diplomatic ones. If Tinubu’s visit results in negotiations to establish charter flights or explore bilateral aviation agreements, it would be a meaningful legacy.

The visit also positions Nigeria to deepen its engagement with larger CARICOM economies, including Guyana, currently the world’s fastest-growing economy due to recent oil discoveries. Nigeria, with decades of experience in petroleum regulation and resource nationalism, is well-placed to offer guidance and form investment partnerships.

The African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) has already taken steps to facilitate Africa-Caribbean integration, launching initiatives aimed at boosting trade, financing, and collaboration. Nigeria should not lag behind this institutional momentum. It ought to lead to it.

What is required now is not symbolism but sustained institutional follow-through. Tinubu’s administration must avoid the all-too-familiar pattern of high-level visits that fail to deliver beyond communiqués and photo opportunities. A framework for Nigeria-Caribbean cooperation, covering trade, culture, education, healthcare, and transportation, should be developed and monitored, with input from private sector stakeholders on both sides.

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If Nigeria is to reposition itself globally as a source of expertise, innovation, and capital, not just raw commodities and migrants, then the Caribbean offers a proving ground. Saint Lucia may be small, but as a diplomatic entry point, it is large in potential. The same can be said for Nigeria’s global ambitions: they are only meaningful if matched by coherent, strategic execution.

Tinubu’s visit is a welcome gesture. Whether it becomes a turning point will depend on what follows.