Nigeria and Saint Lucia have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to foster robust partnerships in tourism, the Orange Economy, and investment in the creative industries.
The agreement was signed on Wednesday, during President Bola Tinubu’s official visit to the Caribbean nation.
This was disclosed in a statement by the Special Adviser to Hannatu Musawa, Nigeria’s Minister of Arts, Culture and Creative Economy, Nneka Anibeze, on Thursday.
The statement noted that the partnership aims to leverage Nigeria’s globally celebrated creative industries, including Nollywood, Afrobeats, fashion, and storytelling, alongside Saint Lucia’s world-class tourism and community-based tourism models.
The agreement promotes bilateral participation in cultural festivals, exchange programmes, fashion collaborations, and museum development initiatives.
“The MOU will focus on co-development of creative economy programs, youth-centred exchanges, and strengthening of value chains for fashion, textiles, and artisanal industries.
“Plans are underway for joint participation in major cultural festivals, including Saint Lucia’s renowned Jazz Festival,” the statement read.
She emphasised that the MOU offers a strategic framework to leverage complementary strengths.
“Nigeria has mastered the art of creative industry and culture, from Nollywood to music to storytelling. Saint Lucia, on the other hand, has perfected the tourism model. This collaboration allows us to exchange expertise and co-develop our capacities in both sectors. This partnership can generate immense value for both our countries, but more importantly, it can inspire the global Black community,” Musawa stated.
Saint Lucia’s Minister for Tourism, Culture, and the Creative Industries, Dr. Ernest Hilaire, described the agreement as a formal reconnection of peoples separated by history but united by heritage.
Hilaire said, “This agreement is about formally re-establishing those ancestral links.
“From music and dance to fashion and sports, Nigeria has been an inspiration.
“We have enjoyed Nigerian talent at our Jazz Festival in recent years, and this MOU allows us to deepen that relationship,” the statement added.
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