By Joy Odor
The Director-General of the Nigerian Technical Aid Corps (NTAC), Rt. Hon. Yusuf Buba Yakub, has announced that Nigeria has deployed over 10,000 technical experts to assist other countries since 1987.
This milestone was highlighted during a departure briefing for 35 technical volunteers heading to Zanzibar, Tanzania, for a two-year assignment.
The NTAC DG emphasized that the deployments have not only boosted Nigeria’s revenue generation but also provided employment opportunities for the experts.
He charged the volunteers to represent Nigeria well and perform to the best of their abilities, noting that they are ambassadors of the country.
He reiterated that the NTAC operates under President Bola Tinubu’s 4D foreign policy initiative, focusing on soft power diplomacy.
The DG NTAC praised the President for his support in enhancing Nigeria’s foreign policy and promoting African unity.
He emphasized the importance of South-South cooperation and Pan-Africanism, highlighting Nigeria’s role in sharing expertise with other African countries.
“The NTAC has deployed experts to over 40 countries, achieving significant milestones, including leadership positions in universities and government institutions.
“They are volunteering to go out there to serve humanity briefly and come back to their place of work in Nigeria. Nigerians are hard-working people. Today in some countries, our volunteers are taking up leadership positions.
“Like in Gambia, we have vice chancellors of universities and we have deputy vice chancellors and we have judges in other countries and so on. We are calling on our volunteers to make sure that they put in their best to see that they portray the name of Nigeria out there.
“The main target is to portray our name and our image. That is soft power diplomacy, but with this spirit and with this initiative of the 4D foreign policy initiative of Mr. President, I think Africa is becoming stronger and we are becoming united. And with this gesture, Africa will come on top among the committee of nations”, he stressed.
In response to concerns about deploying medical practitioners when Nigeria faces its own shortages, the NTAC DG explained that sharing expertise is essential for building African unity and promoting development.
He noted that Nigeria’s leaders decided to send technical experts instead of cash support to foster stronger relationships and cultural exchange.
“Nigeria is a big country and a superpower in Africa, and in the spirit of South South cooperation and in the spirit of Pan Africanism, we will have to continue to share with our fellow blacks all over the world.
“If you watched your television yesterday, you will see where the president of Gambia was appreciating the Federal Republic of Nigeria specifically for bringing Africa to the limelight, and you cannot achieve that until you share what you have.
“If you travel within Africa today, it’s very difficult to connect, because the level of businesses amongst ourselves is very low. But with this spirit and with this foreign policy initiative of Mr. President, I think Africa is becoming stronger and we are becoming united.
“In Nigeria before its establishment in 1987 our leaders then used to give cash support to our sister nations within Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific.
“But from 1987 the leaders decided to say, let’s send our technical experts to these countries so that we will enhance our relationship with the countries.
“It will also enhance cultural exchange, and in every aspect, it will be better than giving cash support. So that was why the Nigerian Technical Aid Corps was established in 1987 and backed by an act of the National Assembly.
“From 1987 to this day, I am proud to say that the Nigerian Technical Aid Corps have achieved a lot because we have deployed to over 40 countries, and we have also deployed over 10,000 experts to this more than 40 countries of the Pacific and also African countries.
“And this is a great achievement for our country, because even on Saturday when I was in Gambia with the director of programs to attend a convocation ceremony of the Gambian University, the president of Gambia, Adama Borrow, was so proud and so appreciative of what Nigeria has been doing to that country, because the first vice chancellor of one of the only university then in the Gambia was a volunteer of the Nigerian Technical Aid Corps that was in 1999 and the second vice chancellor was also a volunteer of the Nigerian Technical Aid Corps.
“And even so that Saturday, the Deputy Vice Chancellor of that university, a 25 year old university, is also a volunteer of the Nigerian Technical Aid Corps, and the Nigerian also established other universities, like the University of Science and the present Vice Chancellor, the Deputy Vice Chancellor and two directors, our volunteers that we sent out there in 2024.
“So the President was so excited, and that is the target, that is the spirit, the spirit of South South cooperation, where developing countries, where black nations, will share what they have amongst themselves, instead of going out to the Western world to ask for this support” NTAC DG mentions.
