Tinubu launches landmark scholarship for Caribbean nations

President Bola Tinubu has introduced {that a} totally funded scholarship scheme for college kids from the Organisation of Japanese Caribbean States (OECS) to check in Nigerian universities will take off within the subsequent educational yr.

This initiative, he stated, marks a concrete step in deepening training and cultural ties between Nigeria and the Caribbean area.

Talking at a joint press convention with Saint Lucia’s Prime Minister, Philip J. Pierre, after a high-level luncheon with OECS leaders in Gros Islet on Monday, President Tinubu said that the scheme is already in movement and will probably be applied beneath a joint framework.

“The Organisation of Japanese Caribbean States may be very near us in Africa, and I thank them for the chance to deal with the joint session of Parliament and actualise our goals of getting nearer to facilitate enterprise and training alternatives, capability constructing, and have a look at different areas of agriculture and meals safety,” Tinubu stated.

He added, “We are able to simply do this by having a working fee. And we don’t should look farther away. The organisation itself has indicated a number of actions. We’re transferring ahead from there. We received’t drop the ball.”

The Nigerian President emphasised that the scholarship is a part of a broader framework to foster people-to-people change, enhance financial ties, and construct mutual capability in important sectors equivalent to training, well being, agriculture, and local weather resilience.

A joint implementation committee, made up of representatives from each Nigeria and OECS member states, will oversee the rollout and guarantee college students begin research in Nigerian establishments within the coming educational calendar.

In response to a journalist’s query on attainable hurdles in increasing OECS-Nigeria cooperation, President Tinubu dismissed considerations.

“I don’t have a look at difficulties. I have a look at problem-solving. And that’s the reason the working lunch promoted a fast understanding of the anticipated problem degree. If we take a geometrical definition of a straight line, which is the quickest level between two factors, if we transfer on a straight line, we get our purpose achieved, and there will probably be no issues.”

Along with the scholarship programme, President Tinubu disclosed that discussions on granting visa waivers to OECS officers and diplomatic passport holders are properly superior.

Prime Minister Pierre described the scholarship plan as “a well timed and sensible expression of solidarity” and confirmed that the primary batch of scholars will start research in Nigerian universities subsequent educational yr, primarily based on President Tinubu’s directive.

“We anticipate college students to start their research in Nigeria within the subsequent educational yr, primarily based on the President’s directive. That is instant motion,” he stated.

The Prime Minister additionally affirmed that visa facilitation is a precedence problem for the newly established Nigeria–OECS Joint Committee, together with enhancing air connectivity, increasing commerce, and enhancing tourism flows.

Responding to questions on reciprocal visa waivers, Prime Minister Pierre stated some OECS states, like St. Kitts, already waive visas for Nigerians.

He added: “We stated that the committee will take care of all these points, and the primary on the agenda would be the people-to-people change, which is able to include the visa necessities. So we hope to have a speedy reply to that as quickly as attainable.”

Earlier that day, President Tinubu had addressed a joint session of the Saint Lucian Parliament, presenting his administration’s imaginative and prescient for a revitalised partnership between Nigeria and the OECS.

“We held a joint session of Parliament the place you heard from the President on his imaginative and prescient for the long run relationship between the OECS and Nigeria. We had a high-level luncheon the place the President outlined to us how the OECS would profit from the nation of Nigeria,” Pierre stated.

He highlighted the institution of a joint working committee tasked with tackling core areas equivalent to training, air journey, commerce, and tourism, signalling what each leaders hope will probably be a transformative period of Afro-Caribbean engagement.