By Muhyideen Jimoh
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‎Saint Lucia has pledged support for Nigeria in designing a robust community tourism programme, aimed at boosting grassroots tourism development and economic empowerment.
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‎The Caribbean tourism destination will also share expertise on certification standards and train Nigerian hospitality professionals.
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‎This initiative is part of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed on the sidelines of President Bola Tinubu’s recent state visit to Saint Lucia.
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‎The MoU was signed by Nigeria’s
‎Minister of Art, Culture, Tourism and Creative Economy, Hannatu Musawa, and her Saint Lucian counterpart, Dr Ernest Hiliare.
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‎Musawa described the development as the dawn of a new era in Africa-Caribbean relations.
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‎She said the agreement will promote bilateral participation in cultural festivals, exchange programmes, fashion collaborations, and museum development initiatives.
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‎”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.
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‎“This collaboration allows us to exchange expertise and co-develop our capacities in both sectors,” she said.
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‎The MoU covers joint cooperation on tourism development, investment promotion, and the advancement of culture and creative industries.
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‎A copy of the MoU, made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) from the Office of the Saint Lucian Prime Minister,Philip Pierre, outlined three core areas of collaboration.
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‎These include: Tourism Development, Culture and Creative Industries, and Capacity Building.
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‎Under the Tourism Development: Saint Lucia will support Nigeria in the design of a Community Tourism Programme, share expertise on certification and standards, and provide training for hospitality workers.
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‎Under Culture and Creative Industries, Nigeria will facilitate Saint Lucia’s participation in the Lagos Fashion Week 2025 scheduled for October.
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‎Both nations will promote cultural exchange through events like the Saint Lucia Carnival and Jazz & Arts Festival.
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‎In Capacity Building, the countries will collaborate on training in sound engineering, music production, and cultural heritage preservation.
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‎The initial one-year agreement sets up a Joint Committee to implement a five-year work plan with measurable outcomes.
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‎This partnership marks a major milestone in South-South cooperation and sectoral development between Africa and the Caribbean.
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‎It reflects a strategic shift towards deeper functional collaboration between both regions. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)
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‎Edited by Bashir Rabe Mani