Nigeria Opens New Atlantic Corridor Grants Visa-Free Access to ST. Kitts and Nevis
By Patience Ikpeme
Nigeria has granted visa-free access to citizens of St. Kitts & Nevis (SKN), effective September 26, 2025.
This landmark policy makes the Caribbean nation the first country outside the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the African continent to receive such a privilege, establishing what observers call the foundation of a new trade and mobility corridor linking Africa and the Caribbean.
The new waiver covers holders of ordinary, official, and diplomatic passports. Previously, Nigeria’s visa-free regime was confined to the ECOWAS bloc, with only Cameroon and Chad as exceptions outside the regional community.
The extension of this access to SKN is viewed as a decisive shift in Nigeria’s diplomatic engagement.
The breakthrough is attributed to the momentum generated by the Afri-Caribbean Investment Summit (AACIS ’25), hosted by Aquarian Consult Limited (ACL) in Abuja earlier this year, which featured SKN as the country of focus.
Aisha Maina, Managing Director of ACL, commented on the policy development, saying it validates the effectiveness 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 stated.
The deepening relationship was accelerated in March 2025, shortly after AACIS, when President Bola Ahmed Tinubu met with SKN’s Prime Minister Terrance Drew in Abuja to strengthen bilateral ties.
That same month saw a historic first: a non-stop Abuja–Basseterre charter flight transporting 120 Nigerian delegates, which created the first direct air link between West Africa and the Caribbean. Since then, the partnership has expanded rapidly.
The Afri-Caribbean Business Expo in Basseterre, co-hosted by ACL, served to showcase opportunities in agribusiness, technology, and the creative economy.
Furthermore, bilateral talks in August in Abuja, involving Nigeria’s Agriculture Minister, Sen. Abubakar Kyari, and SKN’s Samal Duggins, progressed cooperation on food security and trade facilitation.
Analysts suggest the visa waiver signals Nigeria’s changing policy orientation toward focused bilateral partnerships extending beyond the African continent. This strategic move, which diversifies Nigeria’s trade, tourism, and diplomatic partners, begins a new phase of engagement.
Under the leadership of Aisha Maina, ACL’s facilitation is noted by observers as a driving force in advancing Afri-Caribbean relations.
With AACIS ’26 scheduled for March 2026 in Abuja, stakeholders anticipate the Nigeria–SKN agreement will be a benchmark for future partnerships with other Caribbean nations.
