Nigeria will soon deploy skilled professionals, including teachers, doctors, and agriculturists, to Saint Lucia and other Caribbean nations under a newly signed Technical Manpower Assistance (TMA) Agreement.
The initiative, announced on Wednesday by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, is part of Nigeria’s broader efforts to strengthen South-South cooperation and reconnect with the African diaspora across the Caribbean.
The agreement was formalised in Castries, Saint Lucia, with Hon. Yusuf Buba Yakub, Director-General of the Nigerian Technical Aid Corps (TAC), signing on behalf of Nigeria. Janelle Modeste-Stephen, Acting Permanent Secretary at Saint Lucia’s Ministry of External Affairs, International Trade, Civil Aviation and Diaspora Affairs, signed on behalf of the Caribbean nation.
Describing the accord as “a great achievement,” Yakub said it directly reflects President Bola Tinubu’s directive to expand technical aid to the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS).
“This is an outstanding achievement, just days after Mr President’s directive to deploy technical aid to Saint Lucia and the wider OECS,” Yakub stated.
Under the agreement, Nigerian professionals will serve as volunteers for two years. Nigeria will cover their allowances and logistics, while the host nations will provide accommodation and other local support.
Yakub highlighted the deeper cultural and diplomatic implications of the partnership.
“These students who will benefit from the scholarship will have a chance to reconnect with their roots and heritage,” he noted.
The initiative aligns with President Tinubu’s 4D foreign policy framework—Democracy, Development, Diaspora, and Demography—designed to enhance Nigeria’s global footprint through strategic partnerships, especially in the Global South.
Since the beginning of the Tinubu administration in May 2023, the TAC has deployed more than 300 Nigerian professionals to countries across Africa, the Caribbean, and the Pacific.
“When I assumed office in August, the programme was nearly dormant. But Mr President revived it with his strong foreign policy vision. Since then, we’ve sent professionals to Liberia, Sierra Leone, Jamaica, and other African countries,” Yakub explained.
Further deployments are underway. On July 9, four nurses will depart for Jamaica and six medical doctors for Grenada. Discussions are also ongoing with Belize, the Dominican Republic, and the Director-General of the OECS to establish a regional framework for broader technical cooperation.
Yakub also emphasized that the TAC initiative has economic as well as diplomatic value.
“Jamaica has formally requested 400 Nigerian experts, and they are willing to pay. Instead of importing labour from Asia, they want Nigerian professionals,” he said.
“We are exporting Nigeria’s human capital with dignity—creating global opportunities for our citizens and reinforcing Nigeria’s leadership role in the Global South.”
He also shared a cultural success story: a TAC volunteer in Jamaica helped popularize Adire, a traditional Yoruba fabric design, now known locally as ‘Jadire’ and even exported to the U.S.
President Tinubu is currently on a state visit to Saint Lucia, part of a broader tour of the Caribbean and South America. On Monday, he addressed a special joint session of the Saint Lucian Senate and House of Assembly, announcing a new scholarship scheme for OECS students to study in Nigerian universities starting from the next academic year.
He also proposed visa waivers for holders of diplomatic and official passports.
In recognition of his efforts to strengthen Africa-Caribbean relations, Tinubu was conferred with the title of Knight Commander of the Order of Saint Lucia (K.C.S.L.)—one of the country’s highest honours.
