CARIFESTA XV LAUNCHES IN BARBADOS WITH PROMISE OF REGIONAL UNITY AND CREATIVE EXCELLENCE
The Caribbean’s premier cultural celebration is back — and bigger than ever. CARIFESTA XV officially launched in Barbados, where excitement is building ahead of the 10-day festival set to run from August 22 to 31, 2025. Under the theme “Caribbean Roots, Global Excellence,” the festival promises to blend tradition with innovation, featuring over 25 participating countries and a packed calendar of music, dance, theatre, fashion, visual arts, literature, culinary showcases, and more.
SAINT LUCIAN STUDENTS TOP REGION IN CPEA WITH STRONG NATIONAL PERFORMANCE
Saint Lucian students have outshone their regional counterparts in this year’s Caribbean Primary Exit Assessment (CPEA), with national performance climbing to 77.24%—surpassing the regional mean of 71.23%. In only its fourth year of participation, Saint Lucia also claimed top honours, as the island’s leading male and female candidates Madiba Charles and Madison Paul, ranked highest across the entire region. While improvements were noted in mathematics, science, and social studies, education officials say math performance remains an area of concern. A total of 1,960 students—967 boys and 993 girls—sat the exams this year.
NIGERIAN PRESIDENT MAKES HISTORIC VISIT TO SAINT LUCIA TO STRENGTHEN OECS RELATIONS
In a powerful show of Pan-African solidarity, Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu made history this week with his landmark visit to Saint Lucia — marking the first by a Nigerian head of state to the Eastern Caribbean. The visit signaled a bold new chapter of strategic partnership, as Tinubu pledged to deepen Nigeria’s ties with the OECS across key sectors like health, trade, and education, while offering skilled Nigerian professionals to help build regional capacity through Nigeria’s Technical Aid Corps.
