As part of his historic visit to Saint Lucia, the President of Nigeria, His Excellency Sir Bola Ahmed Tinubu, was welcomed to the Sir Arthur Lewis Community College (SALCC) on Tuesday, July 1, during 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, Mr. 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,” said Springer, “His thinking was not only technical, but deeply pan-African.”
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 about two thousand students and we host the powerhouse examples of Saint Lucian strength (Sir Arthur Lewis and Sir Derek Walcott),” said Phulgence, “As an institution, we serve the entire nation.”
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: “It’s a great honour for me,” said Tinubu. “Your institution is rich in history. It is known as the premiere college in Saint Lucia and Eastern Caribbean.”
He expressed interest in developing educational partnerships between Nigeria and SALCC, and emphasized the transformative power of education. He described education as the “great instrument for fighting poverty” and urged students to remain committed to their academic journey.
“Be bold in every way you can,” said Tinubu.
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,” said Philbert.