As part of his historic visit to Saint Lucia, the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, His Excellency Sir Bola Ahmed Tinubu, was welcomed to the Sir Arthur Lewis Community College (SALCC) on Tuesday, July 1, for a special ceremony held in his honour.

President Tinubu and his delegation received a red-carpet reception and were greeted by members of the SALCC Board of Governors, the College’s management team, and a contingent of students. Also in attendance were the Minister for Education, Honourable Shawn Edward; a delegation from the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) Commission; and other specially invited guests.

Following the rendition of the national anthems of Saint Lucia and Nigeria, Chairman of the SALCC Board of Governors, Cletus Springer, delivered the opening remarks. He underscored the College’s unique connection to Nigeria through its namesake, Sir Arthur Lewis.

[Sir Arthur Lewis’] work laid foundational principles for post-colonial economic planning across the Global South, and Nigeria is no exception. His thinking was not only technical, but deeply pan-African. — Cletus Springer, Chairman of the SALCC Board of Governors Read Transcript 📚

Vice Principal of Academics, Dr. Winston Phulgence, then presented on SALCC’s history, its academic offerings and its special position of having both of the nation’s Nobel Laureates buried on campus.

We are an institution of two thousand students, and host the powerhouse examples of Saint Lucian strength. As an institution, we serve the entire nation. — Dr. Winston Phulgence,
Vice Principal of Academics at SALCC

The ceremony also featured cultural performances by students of the College’s Creative and Performing Arts programme. These included a recitation of the poem Saint Lucians Who Don’t Speak Kwéyòl by Shyne Savory, and a theatrical presentation of an excerpt from The Drum-Maker, a play by well-known Saint Lucian playwright Kendel Hippolyte.

In his address to the audience, President Tinubu acknowledged the legacy and stature of the College. He expressed interest in developing educational partnerships between Nigeria and SALCC, and emphasized the transformative power of education, describing it as the “great instrument for fighting poverty,” and urging students to remain committed to their academic journey.

It’s a great honour for me. Your institution is rich in history. It is known as the premiere college in Saint Lucia and the Eastern Caribbean;

Be bold in every way you can. — His Excellency Sir Bola Ahmed Tinubu, President of Nigeria

To commemorate the occasion, the College presented His Excellency with a plaque, a custom painting by SALCC Digital Media lecturer Ted Sandiford, and a curated collection of local publications from the Hunter J. François Library.

In delivering the vote of thanks, SALCC Students’ Council President, Naeem Philbert, expressed hope that the visit would lay the groundwork for deeper collaboration between Saint Lucia and Nigeria.

As we look to the future, we hope that this visit ignites meaningful conversations about youth engagement, about trade and investment, about education and about shared development — Naeem Philbert, President of the SALCC Students’ Council