NEW YORK — September 28, 2026: 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.
This was part of several bilateral engagements of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu on the sidelines of the of the high-level meeting of the 81st Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), in New York, United States of America.
Media Assistant to the minister, Dr. Magnus Eze, in a statement, said the agreement was signed on Friday, September 25, 2026, at the United Nations Headquarters, following a meeting between Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, H.E. Ambassador Odumegwu-Ojukwu, and Jamaica’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Senator Kamina Johnson Smith.
Ahead of the signing ceremony, the two Ministers held discussions on ways to deepen bilateral relations and promote greater people-to-people exchanges between Nigeria and Jamaica.
Senator Johnson Smith expressed the appreciation of the Government of Jamaica for the contribution of Nigeria’s Technical Aid Corps Programme to the country’s development, particularly in the areas of health, education and local fabric artisanry.
She also conveyed Jamaica’s interest in benefiting from the deployment of additional Nigerian professionals, particularly nurses and teachers, under the programme in the future.
The Jamaican Foreign Minister highlighted the significant impact of the TAC Programme on communities in Jamaica, noting that its benefits have extended beyond the immediate transfer of technical skills to fostering cultural and creative exchanges between the two countries.
She cited the development of “JADIRE”, a concept that combines Jamaican designs with Nigeria’s traditional Adire tie-and-dye textile technique, as an example of the enduring impact of the programme.
The concept was developed by Jamaican artisans following training received through the Technical Aid Corps Programme in 2018.
Both Ministers acknowledged the considerable potential for expanding Nigeria-Jamaica cooperation and agreed to explore additional areas of mutual interest through existing and other bilateral platforms.
The meeting concluded with the formal signing of the Agreement on Technical Assistance between Nigeria and Jamaica, reaffirming both countries’ commitment to strengthening their longstanding bilateral ties and advancing practical cooperation for mutual benefit.