In a major boost to Nigeria’s international development diplomacy, the Nigerian Technical Aid Corps (NTAC) has signed a landmark Technical Manpower Assistance Agreement with the Government of Saint Lucia, marking a significant expansion of South-South cooperation between Africa and the Caribbean.
The agreement was formally signed on Tuesday, July 2, 2025, in Castries, the capital of Saint Lucia, by NTAC Director-General Rt. Hon. Yusuf Buba Yakub and the Acting Permanent Secretary of Saint Lucia’s Ministry of External Affairs, International Trade, Civil Aviation and Diaspora Affairs, Mrs. Janelle Modeste-Stephen.
The partnership paves the way for the deployment of Nigerian professionals—including teachers, medical practitioners, agriculturists, and other experts—to serve in Saint Lucia for a period of two years. The initiative is aimed at promoting technical knowledge exchange, fostering bilateral ties, and reconnecting with the African diaspora through the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS).
A Strategic Diplomatic Achievement
Director-General Buba Yakub hailed the agreement as a direct result of President Bola Tinubu’s commitment to expanding Nigeria’s technical diplomacy and advancing regional and bilateral partnerships across the Global South.
“This landmark agreement is a testament to President Tinubu’s unwavering commitment to South-South cooperation and Nigeria’s role as a leader in technical diplomacy,” Yakub said. “We look forward to our volunteers making a meaningful impact in Saint Lucia and to the strengthening of people-to-people connections between our nations.”
The deployment of Nigerian professionals under the agreement will be fully supported by the Nigerian government, which will provide allowances and logistical arrangements for the volunteers. In turn, the government of Saint Lucia will provide accommodation and in-country support for the visiting professionals.
The signing of this agreement represents a major diplomatic step for Nigeria in deepening its engagement with Caribbean nations, particularly through multilateral frameworks such as the OECS. It also reinforces the government’s efforts to promote African solidarity, development cooperation, and diaspora engagement in line with Nigeria’s foreign policy objectives.
Buba Yakub commended President Tinubu for his visionary leadership, stressing that the agreement is more than a technical exchange—it is a bridge between continents, cultures, and shared histories.
