Aaron Alexander, President of ICAR, expressed the organisation’s excitement about the official state visit, calling it “an honour” and a long-overdue gesture of Pan-African solidarity.

“The Iyanola Council for the Advancement of Rastafari and Pan-African People takes this opportunity to extend our heartfelt welcome in advance to His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,” Alexander said.

He traced the shared ancestry between Saint Lucians and the people of Nigeria, referencing the transatlantic slave trade, during which enslaved Africans from Nigerian ethnic groups such as the Yoruba and Igbo were brought to Saint Lucia.

“Many of us Saint Lucians might be able to trace our ancestry to Nigeria and have even discovered that some of us are of royal blood,” Alexander added.

He drew parallels between this visit and past landmark occasions, such as the visits of His Imperial Majesty Haile Selassie to the Caribbean in 1966 and Nelson Mandela in the late 1990s. Alexander emphasised the importance of deepening economic, social, and cultural ties between Saint Lucia and Africa, particularly through initiatives like incorporating African languages into local education.

“We should also consider teaching our children an African language in schools…We hope he shall consider taking some members of our organisation to accompany him on this voyage.”

Beyond the welcome, ICAR's statement also included a pointed political reflection, praising CARICOM and OECS for their past solidarity with Cuba and Venezuela, but questioning the regional silence on the political developments in Burkina Faso and the wider Alliance of Sahel States (AES).

“Why the loud silence on Burkina Faso and by extension the AES? Why hasn't the OECS and CARICOM issued any statement about this?” Alexander asked.

The visit by President Tinubu is expected to include formal diplomatic meetings with OECS leaders, focusing on areas such as trade, education, and cultural exchange.