St. Kitts and Nevis: President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria Bola Ahmed Tinubu met with Prime Minister Dr. Terrance Drew, during a special bilateral engagement. The meeting was held on his birthday on Saturday, March 29, twenty twenty-five, where the leaders discussed mutual interest areas including trade, economic development, healthcare, education and regional collaboration, ahead of the upcoming CARICOM-AU Summit in Addis Ababa, this September.
Reportedly, the delegates present there spoke about how the two nations can grow together with real opportunities to collaborate in various sectors such as trade, education, healthcare and economic development.
Nigeria is a powerhouse on the African continent and there is much that one can learn and share. Considering this, St. Kitts and Nevis will continue to strengthen the diplomatic and strategic partnerships on the African continent, affirmed PM Drew and said that the future of Caribbean-Africa cooperation is bright.
Furthermore, the high-level engagement focused majorly on matters of mutual interest and strategic collaboration, between Nigeria & St. Kitts and Nevis, especially in the areas of trade, economic development, health and education.
The Nigerian President and PM Drew reaffirmed their shared commitment to strengthen the bilateral ties and deepen the South-South Cooperation.
Nigeria is one of the strongest and most influential economies in Africa that boasted a population of more than 250 million people. Prime Minister Drew expressed strong interest of St. Kitts and Nevis in building partnerships that would allow the nation to acquire benefits from Nigeria’s expertise, scale and resources.
Moreover, at the discussion, the areas of potential cooperation included educational exchange programmes, healthcare partnerships, along with investment in key sectors such as technology and renewable energy, as well as with the development of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
The country leaders also discussed regarding the upcoming inaugural joint summit between the African Union (AU) and the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) which is scheduled to take place in September this year in 2025 in Adis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Both nations affirmed the importance of enhancing the CARICOM-AU agenda and further aligning the interests of African and Caribbean nations to pursue common development goals and global advocacy.
St. Kitts and Nevis will continue to assert its voice on the international stage and this bilateral bond represents another step forward in the government’s pursuit of diplomatic diversification and economic cooperation.
Also, Prime Minister Drew flashed light on their objectives and stated that they are looking seriously at agriculture and food security. Drew said that food sovereignty is quite important. Various firms of Nigeria have been approached to consider the partnerships in St. Kitts and Nevis and the wider Caribbean.
Drew explained his purpose of visiting there and said that they have been doing several things and wanted to come here. He explained that this time he came to the Investment Summit to inspire the people to visit to the Caribbean, to invest so that they can work together, closer as a region and as two regions, but in reality, they all are connected by blood.
Prime Minister Drew further mentioned that he came in Nigeria from St. Kitts and Nevis, The CARICOM, The Caribbean and they are seeking to establish greater ties between the Caribbean and the African brothers and sisters here in the motherland.
Their meeting aligned completely with the objectives of the African-Caribbean Summit. It observed its inaugural session in year 2021, under the selected theme ‘Unity Across Continents and Oceans: Opportunities for Deepening Integration.’
Although, the bilateral ties between Nigeria and St. Kitts and Nevis remained limited. As per UN COMTRADE Data (2022), trading between the two nations was valued as less than $500,000 annually. Nigeria primarily exports mineral fuels and some manufactured goods, while St. Kitts and Nevis exports electronics components and beverages in small quantities.