By Nduka Chiejina,The Nation
Copyright thenationonlineng
Nigeria has taken a major step in reshaping its foreign, trading, and investment relations by granting visa-free access to citizens of St. Kitts and Nevis (SKN), starting from September 26, 2025.
The decision made SKN the first country outside the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and beyond the African continent to enjoy such privileges.
This move signals a new trade and mobility corridor linking Africa and the Caribbean.
Until now, Nigeria’s visa-free regime was limited to ECOWAS states, with Cameroon and Chad being the only exceptions outside the bloc.
Extending this access to SKN, which covers ordinary, official, and diplomatic passports, represents a significant policy shift aimed at strengthening trade, investment, cultural exchange, and people-to-people ties across the Atlantic.
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The breakthrough follows the Afri-Caribbean Investment Summit (AACIS ’25) hosted in Abuja earlier this year by Aquarian Consult Limited (ACL), with SKN as the country of focus. The summit created momentum that has now translated into concrete policy action.
Managing Director of ACL, Aisha Maina, described the visa waiver as proof of the value of strategic facilitation. “This visa waiver is more than diplomacy; it is about opening doors for trade, investment, and cultural exchange. At ACL, we are proud to have played a role in turning dialogue into action,” she said.
The strengthening of bilateral ties began in March 2025 when President Bola Ahmed Tinubu met with Prime Minister Terrance Drew of SKN in Abuja. That same month, a historic non-stop Abuja–Basseterre charter flight carried 120 Nigerian delegates, marking the first direct air link between West Africa and the Caribbean.
Since then, relations have expanded across multiple sectors. The Afri-Caribbean Business Expo in Basseterre, co-hosted by ACL, provided a platform to showcase opportunities in agribusiness, technology, and the creative economy.
In August, bilateral talks in Abuja between Nigeria’s Minister of Agriculture, Senator Abubakar Kyari, and his SKN counterpart, Samal Duggins, advanced cooperation on food security and trade facilitation.
It is believed that the visa waiver reflects Nigeria’s growing focus on building targeted bilateral partnerships outside Africa.
By extension, the ACL’s efforts under Aisha Maina’s leadership has positioned the firm as a key player in fostering Afri-Caribbean relations.
With the next Afri-Caribbean Investment Summit (AACIS ’26) scheduled for March 2026 in Abuja, stakeholders expect the Nigeria–SKN visa waiver to serve as a benchmark for future partnerships with other Caribbean nations.
