According to a NewsVista reporter, Nigeria has signed a landmark manpower assistance agreement with the Caribbean island nation of Saint Lucia, a move hailed as a major step toward deepening South-South cooperation and reconnecting with the African diaspora.
The deal, confirmed on Wednesday, July 2, involves the deployment of skilled Nigerian professionals — including teachers, doctors, and agriculturists — to Saint Lucia for a two-year volunteer program. While Nigeria covers allowances and logistics, the host country will provide housing and local support.
Speaking on behalf of Nigeria, Yusuf Buba Yakub, Director-General of the Nigerian Technical Aid Corps, described the signing as “a great achievement” and a direct result of President Bola Tinubu’s foreign policy directive to strengthen bilateral ties across the Caribbean.
“This is part of Mr. President’s renewed vision to export Nigeria’s human capital with dignity,” Yakub said, noting that Nigeria is also sending volunteers to Jamaica, Grenada, and Liberia, with more deployments planned to the Dominican Republic and Belize.
The agreement with Saint Lucia was signed alongside Janelle Modeste-Stephen, acting permanent secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs in Castries.
Already, the results are showing. One Nigerian volunteer introduced Adire fabric to Jamaica — it’s now known there as “Jadire” and is being produced locally and exported to the U.S.
Beyond development aid, Yakub said the Technical Aid Corps program is quietly becoming a revenue-generating platform, with Jamaica requesting 400 Nigerian professionals to replace foreign labour from Asia.
This agreement aligns with Tinubu’s bold “4D foreign policy” — focused on Democracy, Development, Diaspora, and Demography — which is positioning Nigeria as a leader across the Global South while creating opportunities for its citizens.
Leave a Reply