As part of efforts to deepen SouthSouth cooperation and reconnect with African diaspora in the Caribbean, Nigeria and Saint Lucia have signed a Technical Manpower Assistance (TMA) agreement outlining modalities for deploying skilled Nigerian professionals to Saint Lucia.

According to a statement by the Presidential spokesman, Bayo Onanuga, the Director-General of the Nigerian Technical Aid Corps (TAC), Yusuf Buba Yakub, signed on behalf of Nigeria, while Janelle Modeste-Stephen, the Acting Permanent Secretary, Ministry of External Affairs, International Trade, Civil Aviation and Diaspora Affairs, signed on behalf of the eastern Caribbean Island yesterday at the Ministry of External Affairs, Castries, Saint Lucia.

Describing the agreement as “a great achievement,” Yakub said it marked a key step in implementing President Bola Tinubu’s vision of strengthened bilateral and regional partnerships.

This is an outstanding achievement, just days after Mr. President’s directive to deploy technical aid to Saint Lucia and the wider OECS, Yakub said.

He explained that the agreement allowed Nigeria to send expert volunteers, including teachers, medical professionals, agriculturists, and others, who woukd serve for two years in the host countries.

The Nigerian government would be responsible for their allowances and logistics, while the host countries would provide accommodation and local support.

“These students who will benefit from the scholarship will have a chance to reconnect with their roots and heritage,” Yakub said, referring also to the broader cultural and educational exchange announced by the President during his address to the Special Joint Sitting of the Senate and House of Assembly of Saint Lucia on Monday in Saint Lucia.

Since the inception of the current administration in May 2023, Yakub revealed that over 300 Nigerian professionals have been deployed across Africa, the Caribbean, and the Pacific.