President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has officially announced that the new scholarship scheme for students from the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) to study in Nigerian universities will begin in the upcoming academic year. The President made this known during a joint press conference held with the Prime Minister of Saint Lucia, Philip J. Pierre, in Gros Islet on Monday, after a high-level working luncheon with leaders from the OECS.
According to President Tinubu, the scholarship initiative is not just an education-based move but part of a broader effort to deepen cooperation between Nigeria and the OECS. The initiative, he said, is designed to promote people-to-people connections while advancing goals in areas such as education, trade, agriculture, and overall development.
“This is a partnership for development. The Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States is very close to us in Africa,” President Tinubu said. “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.”
The President explained that the initiative had already begun to take shape, with plans in place to finalize modalities for implementation. He stressed the need for a working commission that would ensure follow-through on all agreements made between Nigeria and the OECS, particularly in sectors like education and international collaboration.
“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,” Tinubu assured.
The scholarship scheme, which is a joint effort between Nigeria and the OECS leadership, will be managed by a joint implementation committee. This committee will include representatives from both Nigeria and the OECS, and is responsible for establishing guidelines and ensuring selected students begin their studies in Nigerian institutions by the next academic session.
President Tinubu also revealed that the Nigerian government is working on a proposal for visa waivers for holders of diplomatic and official passports from OECS member states. This, he said, is part of a larger strategy to make travel and education exchanges easier between Nigeria and the Caribbean region.
“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,” Tinubu added.
When asked about the challenges in expanding cooperation across areas like trade, investment, health, education, culture, and climate resilience, President Tinubu responded with optimism. He downplayed the notion of challenges, instead highlighting the importance of problem-solving and straightforward communication between partners.
“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,” he said. “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.”
Prime Minister of Saint Lucia, Philip J. Pierre, welcomed the scholarship initiative with open arms, calling it a clear and timely expression of support and collaboration from Nigeria.
“We expect students to begin their studies in Nigeria in the next academic year, based on the President’s directive. This is immediate action,” Pierre stated.
He also confirmed that visa facilitation for OECS citizens will be a priority issue for the joint committee. Alongside the scholarships, the committee will also focus on enhancing air connectivity, promoting trade, and encouraging tourism between Nigeria and OECS countries.
Responding to a question on how quickly OECS countries might implement reciprocal visa waivers for Nigerian citizens, Prime Minister Pierre explained that some islands within the OECS, such as St. Kitts, already operate without visa requirements for certain categories. He confirmed that broader visa-related matters are being addressed by the newly formed joint committee.
“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,” he said. “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 on the same day, President Tinubu had the honour of addressing a special joint session of the Saint Lucia Senate and House of Assembly. During his address, he shared his vision of a stronger, more connected relationship 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,” Prime Minister Pierre said. “We had a high-level luncheon where the President outlined to us how the OECS would benefit from the country of Nigeria.”
He added that the newly created joint committee will be responsible for tackling pressing issues in education, air travel, trade, and tourism, areas seen as crucial for enhancing bilateral relations.
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