Saint Lucia’s enslaved population had Nigerian roots — Senate President

By Kunle Sanni –

The President of the Saint Lucian Senate, Alvina Reynolds, has revealed that a significant portion of the island’s formerly enslaved population traced their roots to Nigeria, highlighting the deep historical and cultural connections between the Caribbean nation and West Africa.

Reynolds, speaking during a special joint session of Saint Lucia’s bicameral Parliament on Monday, cited a British colonial census from 1815 which showed that out of 16,282 enslaved people on the island, 3,488 were born in Africa. Of those, 34 percent were from Nigeria, 11 percent from the Nigeria-Cameroon area, and 22 percent from Congo.

She said the remaining 12,794 were born in Saint Lucia, many of whom descended from Nigerians and people of Senegambian origin, further demonstrating the strong ancestral ties.

Reynolds shared this data while welcoming Nigeria’s President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to the Parliament, describing his visit as historic and a symbolic reunion between Africa and its diaspora.

“The legacy of the transatlantic slave trade created an unbreakable historical and cultural bond between our peoples,” Reynolds said. “Your presence rekindles a mission to reunite us with our homeland.”

She also paid tribute to Saint Lucian-born jurist Sir Darnley Alexander, who migrated to Nigeria in 1957 and later became the Chief Justice of Nigeria—the only non-Nigerian to hold the position in the post-independence era.

Reynolds noted that the ties continue today, citing Nigerian Catholic priests currently serving in Saint Lucia, including Father Festus, who was present during the session.

Responding, Saint Lucian Prime Minister Philip J. Pierre described Tinubu’s visit as a “moment of freedom and celebration,” marking a new chapter in Africa-Caribbean relations.