Nigeria is set to deploy skilled professionals, including teachers, doctors, and agriculturists, to Saint Lucia and other Caribbean nations under a newly signed Technical Manpower Assistance (TMA) Agreement aimed at deepening South-South cooperation and reconnecting with the African diaspora. The agreement was signed in Castries, Saint Lucia, by Hon. Yusuf Buba Yakub, Director-General of the Nigerian Technical Aid Corps (TAC), on behalf of Nigeria, and Janelle Modeste-Stephen, Acting Permanent Secretary at Saint Lucias Ministry of External Affairs. Describing the agreement as a great achievement, Yakub said it reflects President Bola Tinubus directive to deploy technical aid to the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS). This is an outstanding achievement, just days after Mr Presidents directive to deploy technical aid to Saint Lucia and the wider OECS, he said. Under the agreement, Nigerian professionals will volunteer for two years, with Nigeria covering allowances and logistics, while host countries provide accommodation and support. Yakub emphasised the diplomatic and cultural significance of the initiative: These students who will benefit from the scholarship will have a chance to reconnect with their roots and heritage. The deployment aligns with President Tinubus recently unveiled 4D foreign policy, Democracy, Development, Diaspora, and Demography, which seeks to strengthen Nigerias global influence through strategic partnerships. Since May 2023, Yakub revealed that over 300 professionals have been deployed across Africa, the Caribbean, and the Pacific. Since my appointment in August, weve 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, he said. Additional deployments are underway, with four nurses scheduled to leave for Jamaica and six medical doctors set for Grenada on July 9. Talks are also ongoing with Belize, the Dominican Republic, and the OECS to create a regional framework for further cooperation. Highlighting the programs wider impact, Yakub noted, Jamaica has formally requested 400 experts, who are willing to pay. Instead of importing labour from Asia, they want Nigerian professionals. We are exporting Nigerias human capital with dignity, creating opportunities for our people, and reinforcing Nigerias leadership across the Global South. He also shared an example of cultural exchange: One of our volunteers in Jamaica popularised Adire (Yoruba fabric design), which has become so popular that Jamaicans now produce it locally, calling it Jadire. They even export it to the United States. President Tinubu, currently on a state visit to Saint Lucia, addressed a special joint sitting of the islands parliament on June 30, announcing a new scholarship scheme for OECS students to study in Nigerian universities and proposing visa waivers for holders of diplomatic and official passports. Later that day, Tinubu was honoured with the title of Knight Commander of the Order of Saint Lucia (K.C.S.L.) in recognition of his efforts to strengthen Africa-Caribbean ties.
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