Tinubu to Africans worldwide: Let’s unite for a future of dignity, promise

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has called on Africans and people of African descent around the world to forge stronger bonds of unity, collaboration, and innovation to build a future rooted in honour, dignity, and progress for the Black race.

Speaking at a dinner reception held in his honour on Tuesday night by the Prime Minister of Saint Lucia, Philip J. Pierre, President Tinubu declared that the historical dispersal of Africans through slavery and colonisation must not hinder the modern Black world from uniting and shaping a brighter future.

“It’s not the fault of our forebears that we find ourselves dispersed. We can work together, be together, enjoy what we have, and build a future of promise, honour, and dignity for the Black race”, the Nigerian leader said.

Addressing an audience that included Saint Lucian officials and members of the Nigerian community on the island—some of whom have lived there for over 30 years—President Tinubu reaffirmed his Afrocentric convictions and belief in the resilience and industriousness of Black people globally.

In a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, President Tinubu said, “I’m unapologetically Afrocentric in my belief. I’ve travelled far and wide, and no one is as industrious, determined, and focused as Black people worldwide.

“The challenge is ours, and we meet those challenges as we strive to give our kith and kin a better life. One out of every five Black nationals is a Nigerian. All I can promise you, as a man from the largest Black nation in the world, is that we will work hard”, he declared.

Tinubu emphasised the importance of leveraging modern tools to achieve African advancement: “Industrialisation and technology are making life easier, and we have to work together to make our people proud today, tomorrow, and thereafter.”

The evening marked yet another high point in Tinubu’s historic state visit to the Caribbean nation.

Earlier in the day, the President had been conferred with the prestigious title of Knight Commander of the Order of Saint Lucia (KCOSL)—one of the nation’s highest honours—by the Saint Lucian government in recognition of his leadership and commitment to pan-African progress.

“This honour is very well deserved. It is reserved for someone who has rendered exceptional service of national importance to Saint Lucia. Our engagement with you over the past few days convinced us you deserve that honour. May you cherish it as much as we cherish your presence”, Pierre said.

The Prime Minister also extended a warm welcome to the Nigerian community in Saint Lucia, praising their longstanding contributions to the country’s development.

“You have been living with us for many years. Many of you have chosen to make Saint Lucia your permanent home, raising your families, working, and making a quiet contribution to our country’s development,” Pierre noted.

He added that the integration of Nigerians into Saint Lucian society has been “seamless” due to deep-rooted cultural affinities. “You know and feel you are at home here in Saint Lucia.”

Pierre further underscored the historical bonds between Nigeria and Saint Lucia through the legacy of Sir Darnley Alexander, a Saint Lucian native who became Nigeria’s fourth Chief Justice from 1975 to 1979.

“We keep repeating that story because we are proud of it. The story of a young Saint Lucian who was invited to Nigeria by the premier of the Western Region in 1957 and who rose, through competence and dedication, to become Chief Justice,” the Prime Minister said.

“He was born a few miles from here in Soufrière. That story must be told and passed on to succeeding generations—it is part of our shared legacy of service between Nigeria and Saint Lucia.”

The event ended on a warm note as President Tinubu invited members of the Nigerian community for a personal meet-and-greet.