Nigeria, Jamaica Sign Technical Assistance Agreement

Nigeria and Jamaica have signed an Agreement on Technical Assistance aimed at strengthening bilateral cooperation and expanding the impact of Nigeria’s Technical Aid Corps (TAC) Programme in Jamaica.

The agreement was signed on Friday, September 25, 2026, at the United Nations Headquarters in New York, on the sidelines of the high-level meeting of the 81st Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).

The signing followed a meeting between Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, and Jamaica’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Senator Kamina Johnson Smith.

In a statement, the Minister’s Media Assistant, Dr. Magnus Eze, said the two ministers discussed ways to deepen bilateral relations and promote greater people-to-people exchanges between Nigeria and Jamaica.

Johnson Smith expressed the Jamaican government’s appreciation for the contribution of Nigeria’s Technical Aid Corps Programme to the country’s development, particularly in health, education and local fabric artisanry.

She also expressed Jamaica’s interest in receiving additional Nigerian professionals, especially nurses and teachers, under the programme in the future.

The Jamaican Foreign Minister said the TAC Programme had made a significant impact on communities across Jamaica, with its benefits extending beyond technical skills transfer to promoting cultural and creative exchanges between the two countries.

She cited the development of “JADIRE” — a fusion of Jamaican designs and Nigeria’s traditional Adire tie-and-dye textile technique — as an example of the programme’s lasting impact.

The concept was developed by Jamaican artisans following training provided under Nigeria’s Technical Aid Corps Programme in 2018.

Both ministers acknowledged the potential for further expansion of Nigeria-Jamaica cooperation and agreed to explore additional areas of mutual interest through existing and other bilateral platforms.

The meeting ended with the formal signing of the Agreement on Technical Assistance, reaffirming the commitment of both countries to strengthening their longstanding bilateral relations and advancing practical cooperation for mutual benefit.