Nigerian Health Workers Depart to Caribbean Under the Technical Aid Corp Programme

DLHA Staff Writer

Nigeria's Foreign Affairs Ministry and Technical Aid Corp Logos

“This programme is more than just technical support, it is a symbol of Nigeria’s global engagement, influence, and solidarity with historically connected nations.”

- Hon. Yusuf Buba Yakub, Director-General of the Nigerian Technical Aid Corp (TAC).

FRIDAY, July 4, 2025. - Four Nigerian nurses will depart for Jamaica this week in a renewed push by the Nigerian Government to export skilled manpower across Africa and the Caribbean under the revitalised Technical Aid Corps (TAC) programme.

This development was sealed under a landmark Technical Manpower Assistance (TMA) agreement signed between Nigeria and Saint Lucia, formalising a framework for the deployment of Nigerian professionals to the Eastern Caribbean nation.

The agreement was signed on Wednesday, July 2, 2025 at the Ministry of External Affairs in Castries, Saint Lucia by the Director-General of the Nigerian Technical Aid Corps, Hon. Yusuf Buba Yakub, and Janelle Modeste-Stephen, Acting Permanent Secretary in Saint Lucia’s Ministry of External Affairs, International Trade, Civil Aviation and Diaspora Affairs. 

Yakub described the agreement as “a significant milestone,” saying that it aligns with President Bola Tinubu’s renewed 4D foreign policy thrust anchored on democracy, development, diaspora engagement, and demography.

The initiative is part of a broader cultural and educational exchange framework unveiled by President Tinubu during his address to the Saint Lucian Parliament earlier in the week.

The agreement enables Nigeria to send technical volunteers, medical personnel, teachers, agriculturists, and other skilled professionals on two-year assignments. While the Nigerian government will fund their allowances and logistics, host countries are expected to provide accommodation and on-ground support.

Since May 2023, over 300 Nigerian professionals have been deployed to various countries across Africa, the Caribbean, and the Pacific. Recent deployments include Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Jamaica, with six Nigerian medical doctors scheduled to leave for Grenada on July 9.

Beyond traditional diplomacy, Yakub emphasised that the TAC programme is evolving into a revenue-generating and soft power tool.

He revealed that Jamaica has formally requested 400 Nigerian experts and is prepared to compensate them, underscoring growing demand for Nigerian human capital.

“Instead of importing manpower from Asia, they are turning to Nigeria. We are exporting human capital with dignity while creating opportunities for our people,” Yakub said.

Yakub also affirmed that the TAC initiative reflects Nigeria’s aspiration to lead within the Global South, combining technical assistance, professional development, and cultural diplomacy.

“This programme is more than just technical support, it is a symbol of Nigeria’s global engagement, influence, and solidarity with historically connected nations.”

Critics however disagree with the government’s move arguing that it’s a tone-deaf decision that prioritises international image over domestic health needs.

Several healthcare workers question the logic of sending skilled health manpower overseas when hospitals across Nigeria are understaffed, underfunded, and overwhelmed. Many see it as a continuation of the government’s failure to invest meaningfully in the local health sector.

But the official government viewpoint is that the TAC initiative reflects Nigeria’s aspiration to lead within the Global South, combining technical assistance, professional development, and cultural diplomacy.

“This programme is more than just technical support, it is a symbol of Nigeria’s global engagement, influence, and solidarity with historically connected nations.” Yakub said

Sources:

Guardian Nigeria

Medicalworld

Published: July 4, 2023

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