President Bola Tinubu has announced that a fully funded scholarship scheme for students from the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) to study in Nigerian universities will take off in the next academic year.
This initiative, he said, marks a concrete step in deepening education and cultural ties between Nigeria and the Caribbean region.
Speaking at a joint press conference with Saint Lucia’s Prime Minister, Philip J. Pierre, after a high-level luncheon with OECS leaders in Gros Islet on Monday, President Tinubu stated that the scheme is already in motion and will be implemented under a joint framework.
“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,” Tinubu said.
He added, “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.”
The Nigerian President emphasised that the scholarship is part of a broader framework to foster people-to-people exchange, boost economic ties, and build mutual capacity in critical sectors such as education, health, agriculture, and climate resilience.
A joint implementation committee, made up of representatives from both Nigeria and OECS member states, will oversee the rollout and ensure students commence studies in Nigerian institutions in the coming academic calendar.
In response to a journalist’s question on possible hurdles in expanding OECS-Nigeria cooperation, President Tinubu dismissed concerns.
“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.”
In addition to the scholarship programme, President Tinubu disclosed that discussions on granting visa waivers to OECS officials and diplomatic passport holders are well advanced.
Prime Minister Pierre described the scholarship plan as “a timely and practical expression of solidarity” and confirmed that the first batch of students will begin studies in Nigerian universities next academic year, based on President Tinubu’s directive.
“We expect students to begin their studies in Nigeria in the next academic year, based on the President’s directive. This is immediate action,” he said.
The Prime Minister also affirmed that visa facilitation is a priority issue for the newly established Nigeria–OECS Joint Committee, along with improving air connectivity, expanding trade, and enhancing tourism flows.
Responding to questions on reciprocal visa waivers, Prime Minister Pierre said some OECS states, like St. Kitts, already waive visas for Nigerians.
He added: “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 that day, President Tinubu had addressed a joint session of the Saint Lucian Parliament, presenting his administration’s vision for a revitalised partnership 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,” Pierre said.
He highlighted the establishment of a joint working committee tasked with tackling core areas such as education, air travel, trade, and tourism, signalling what both leaders hope will be a transformative era of Afro-Caribbean engagement.