Published 3 December 2025
Buckie Got It
St. Kitts and Nevis News Source
New Afri-Caribbean Cultural Event Center Launches in Abuja, Strengthening St. Kitts and Nevis-Nigeria Ties
ABUJA, Nigeria – In a significant milestone for cultural diplomacy and South-South cooperation, the Afri-Caribbean Cultural Event Center was officially launched at The Art Pavilion in Abuja, Nigeria on Wednesday, 26th November 2025. The launch was a cornerstone event of a wider delegation visit from delegates from St. Kitts and Nevis, undertaken under a special invitation from renowned Nigerian business leader Ms. Aisha Maina, CEO of Aquarian Consult Limited.
The Afri-Caribbean Cultural Event Center is a dynamic new institution dedicated to celebrating and preserving the shared heritage of Africa and the Caribbean. Through exhibitions, performances, and educational programs, it serves as a vital bridge for cultural dialogue, mutual understanding, and artistic collaboration, fostering a living connection between these intertwined diasporas.
The event commenced with a powerful symbolic gesture: the national anthems of St. Kitts and Nevis, performed by delegate Dejour Alexander, and Nigeria, performed by Serumun Ubwa.
The keynote address was delivered by the Honorable Samal Duggins, Minister of Creative Economy of St. Kitts and Nevis, who led the visiting delegation. Minister Duggins emphasized the theme of “One Africa,” unified through shared cultural and artistic traditions. In a gesture highlighting the collaborative spirit of the visit, Minister Duggins invited his host, Ms. Aisha Maina, founder of the Miss Maina Anoora Foundation, to jointly conduct the ceremonial ribbon-cutting, formally inaugurating the cultural center.
“The launch of this Center is a tangible outcome of the powerful cultural and economic dialogues we are having with Nigeria,” stated Hon. Samal Duggins. “It establishes a permanent hub for the celebration of our shared heritage and creates new opportunities for our creatives, directly stemming from this landmark delegation visit.”
The morning ended with a networking reception and photography session, providing opportunities for artists, curators, cultural advocates, and members of the St. Kitts and Nevis delegation to connect and explore possibilities for deeper collaboration.
Reflecting on the profound historical importance of the launch, Pierre Liburd, Visual Artist and Director of Culture who attended the event said: “I look forward to playing any part that I can to ensure that the history and heritage of St Kitts and Nevis is prominently featured in those halls and that our story is well told through our words, our sounds, our voices, our brush strokes. I am thankful that through this initiative, anyone on the motherland who has either vaguely heard of us or never heard of us at all, can walk the halls of the institution and learn through an untinted lens, about their kin across the Atlantic. I also look forward to realizing a similar experience here on our shores, where we too can learn of our kin across the Atlantic, the tribes, the kingdoms and the traditions from whence we all came.
I commend Minister Duggins and partners Ms Maina and Dr Mohammed Suleiman and their teams for actualizing this significant and long-overdue milestone in our people’s history.”
The launch ceremony symbolized the deepening partnership between the two nations, following recent diplomatic achievements including visa-free access between St. Kitts and Nevis and Nigeria and the signing of the key Memoranda of Understanding.
