The stage is set for the deployment of skilled Nigerian professionals to the Caribbean and other member states of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS).

 This followed the signing of a Technical Manpower Assistance (TMA) agreement  between Nigeria and Saint Lucia.

The move marks a major stride in South-South cooperation and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s renewed foreign policy thrust aimed at strengthening ties with Africans in the diaspora.

The agreement was signed yesterday at the Ministry of External Affairs in Castries, Saint Lucia, by the Director-General of the Nigerian Technical Aid Corps (TAC),  Yusuf Buba Yakub and Janelle Modeste-Stephen, Acting Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of External Affairs, International Trade, Civil Aviation and Diaspora Affairs of Saint Lucia.

Describing the agreement as “a great achievement,” Yakub said the development was a direct outcome of President Tinubu’s visit to Saint Lucia and his directive to revive and expand Nigeria’s technical aid to the Caribbean and OECS nations.

Members of the OECS nations are Antigua and Barbuda, Commonwealth of Dominica, Grenada, Montserrat, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.

According to a statement  by Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, Yakub said: “This is an outstanding achievement, just days after Mr. President’s directive to deploy technical aid to Saint Lucia and the wider OECS”.

Under the new agreement, Nigeria will deploy expert volunteers—including teachers, medical professionals, agriculturists, and other skilled workers—on two-year assignments in Saint Lucia and other interested countries.

Nigeria will cover their allowances and travel logistics, while the host countries will provide accommodation and local support.

Yakub noted that the initiative goes beyond manpower support, emphasizing its cultural and historical significance.

“These students who will benefit from the scholarship will have a chance to reconnect with their roots and heritage,” he said, referring to the broader educational and cultural exchange plan unveiled by President Tinubu during his historic address to Saint Lucia’s bicameral legislature earlier in the week.

Since assuming office in May 2023, the Tinubu administration has prioritized repositioning Nigeria as a leader in the Global South.

Yakub said that over 300 Nigerian professionals have already been deployed across Africa, the Caribbean, and the Pacific under the revived TAC scheme.

“Since my appointment in August, we’ve deployed volunteers to Liberia, Sierra Leone, Jamaica, and other African nations. This programme was nearly dormant, but Mr. President revived it with his strong foreign policy vision,” Yakub said.

He announced that more deployments are imminent.

“Right now, we are deploying volunteers to Jamaica. Some are already there, and others will fly out tomorrow from Abuja. Four nurses will depart for Jamaica tomorrow. Additionally, six medical doctors are scheduled to leave for Grenada on July 9”, he said.

Beyond Saint Lucia, Nigeria is in discussions with Belize, the Dominican Republic, and the OECS Commission to create a regional framework for coordinated technical assistance.

Yakub highlighted the cultural impact of the programme, recalling how one Nigerian volunteer in Jamaica introduced Adire, the traditional Yoruba fabric art, which has gained so much popularity that Jamaicans have adapted it under the name Jadire—now locally produced and even exported to the United States.

The TAC programme, he said, is also showing signs of becoming a revenue generator.

“Jamaica has formally requested 400 experts, who are willing to pay. Instead of importing labour from Asia, they want Nigerian professionals,” he explained.

“We are exporting Nigeria’s human capital with dignity, creating opportunities for our people, and reinforcing Nigeria’s leadership across the Global South,” Yakub emphasized.

The Director-General said the renewed TAC initiative aligns closely with President Tinubu’s 4D foreign policy doctrine—Democracy, Development, Diaspora, and Demography—and is playing a pivotal role in strengthening Nigeria’s soft power abroad.

“This is about diplomacy with a human face. It’s about cultural exchange, professional empowerment, and strategic cooperation rooted in shared history and mutual growth”, Yakub added.

The agreement with Saint Lucia is the first formal TMA pact to emerge from President Tinubu’s landmark Caribbean visit, which has also included discussions on education scholarships, trade, and cultural diplomacy.