Castries, Saint Lucia — July 1, 2025 — As Nigeria and Saint Lucia deepen diplomatic and cultural relations, new historical insights have emerged suggesting that a significant number of formerly enslaved people in Saint Lucia were of Nigerian descent — a revelation that is sparking renewed interest in reconnecting shared heritage across the Atlantic.
Speaking at a bilateral engagement during the ongoing state visit by Nigerian government officials to the Caribbean nation, local historians and cultural scholars highlighted that historical slave trade routes often linked West Africa — particularly regions now within modern-day Nigeria — to Caribbean islands, including Saint Lucia.
Records from transatlantic slave trade documentation and oral history suggest that many enslaved Africans brought to Saint Lucia during the 17th and 18th centuries were Yoruba, Igbo, and Hausa in origin. These groups were heavily targeted during the peak of British and Portuguese slave trading activities, and a large portion were transported from the Bight of Benin and Bight of Biafra — both located in present-day Nigeria.
“Many of our ancestors came from what is now Nigeria,” said Dr. Alton Pierre, a Saint Lucian cultural historian. “You can still see it in our language, religion, food, and music. There is a spiritual connection that has never faded.”
This shared ancestry has become a focal point in the evolving relationship between the two countries. Nigeria’s President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and his delegation, including Vice President Kashim Shettima, have emphasized the importance of historical and cultural reconnection as key to promoting cooperation in education, commerce, and people-to-people exchanges.
During his address in Castries, Vice President Shettima noted that Saint Lucia and other OECS countries “are very close to us in Africa,” not only through diplomatic ties but also through ancestral and cultural bonds that were forged centuries ago under traumatic circumstances.
The Nigerian government has committed to offering educational scholarships to OECS students starting from the next academic year, further solidifying the human and historical bridge between both nations. Plans are also in place to ease visa restrictions and promote heritage tourism between Nigeria and the Caribbean.
Saint Lucia’s Prime Minister, Philip J. Pierre, praised the initiative and emphasized the emotional importance of reconnecting Saint Lucians with their African roots, particularly Nigeria. “This is not just diplomacy — it’s about reconnecting bloodlines and restoring dignity to history,” he said.